Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Scotland · Local authority
Orkney Islands
Planning applications.
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Orkney Islands. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates11,977Searchable applications
139Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,073 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 12 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning and BuildingLocal plan Development and Marine Planning (policy)Pre-application advice Pre-application AdviceConservation areas Conservation Area Consent
Council contacts
- Planning enquiries01856873535Council source
- Planning enquiriesplanning@orkney.gov.ukCouncil source
Contact details were found on council pages. Check the source for opening hours and which enquiries the service handles.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas6 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasBoundary dataset not connected
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland. Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is indicative and may not contain the latest designations.
More application records
- Decided11/737/PP
Relocate existing equestrian/livery business and erect a house with an air source heat pump for a rural business
Tufta (Land Near) Harray
Received 8 Dec 2011 - Decided11/738/PP
Change of use of land from agriculture to equestian/livery business including cross country course
Tufta (Land Near) Harray
Received 12 Dec 2011 - Decided11/739/PP
Extend and renovate a house
The Hill House South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2RN
Received 13 Dec 2011 - Decided11/740/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 18.2m)
Windbreck (Land Near), Evie Orkney
Received 13 Dec 2011 - Decided11/741/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump and create a new access
Trenabie Farm (Land Near) Westray Orkney
Received 13 Dec 2011 - Decided11/742/PN
Demolish a house, store and greenhouse
The Bungalow Berstane Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SZ
Received 13 Dec 2011 - Decided11/743/PIP
Siting of a house
Glen (Site 1) (Land Near) Rackwick Hoy KW16 3NJ
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/744/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 46.6m) and a switchgear building (App 1)
Work Farm (Land Near) Work Road St Ola Orkney KW15 1UF
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/745/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 46.6m) and a switchgear building (App 2)
Work Farm (Land Near) Work Road St Ola Orkney KW15 1UP
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/746/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 27.9m amended from 46.6m) and a switchgear building
Dale Spot Hill (Land Near) Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SX
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/747/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump
Grainbank (Plot 10) (Land Near) Kirkwall Orkney
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/748/PP
Install a sewage treatment plant
Flotta Oil Terminal Flotta Orkney KW16 3NP
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/749/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Flotterston Cottage (Land Near) Sandwick Orkney KW16 3LP
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/750/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump
Rowandale (Land Near) Finstown Orkney KW17 2EJ
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/751/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 22m)
Hindatoon (Land Near) Harray Orkney KW17 2JT
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/752/PP
Extend a house
Trowietoon Geo Road Deerness Orkney KW17 2QQ
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/753/PP
Install an air source heat pump
23 Main Street Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1BU
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/754/PP
Extend a house (retrospective)
Hybreck Stoneyhill Road Harray Orkney KW17 2JS
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/755/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
The Knowe (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/756/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 27.2m)
Backakelday (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2RY
Received 15 Dec 2011 - Decided11/757/APN
Erect a GP shed
Cruannie Rousay Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 16 Dec 2011 - Decided11/758/PP
Paint exterior walls of house
34 Dundas Street Stromness Orkney KW16 3BZ
Received 16 Dec 2011 - Decided11/759/LB
Paint exterior walls of house
34 Dundas Street Stromness Orkney KW16 3BZ
Received 21 Dec 2011 - Decided11/760/PP
Erect an industrial building with associated siteworks and services
Garson Industrial Estate (Site G12) (Land Near) Stromness Orkney KW16 3EF
Received 19 Dec 2011
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsResearching a proposal in Orkney Islands
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
Planning procedures in Scotland differ from those in England. Use the authority’s own guidance for application requirements, comments and decision timescales.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
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Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
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What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Orkney Islands, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage