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 dates11,978Searchable applications
140Recorded 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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/053/PP
Temporary change of use from post office (use class 1) to taxi office for 18 months during works at Stromness Pierhead
Post Office 37 Victoria Street Stromness KW16 3BS
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/054/PP
Alter existing lower floor and erect single-storey extension on north corner of building to form new special needs Lifestyle Centre
The Pickaquoy Centre Muddisdale Road Kirkwall KW15 1LR
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/055/PP
Erect a conservatory
West House The Park Holm Orkney KW17 2SD
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/056/PP
Install a ground mounted solar array
Quoy Of Houton Orphir KW17 2RD
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/057/PIP
Demolish 3 redundant war-time huts and siting of 2 houses
Towerhill (Land Near) Inganess Road St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SR
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/058/TPP
Erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 46.6m) and extend existing track
Southfield (Land Near) Burray Orkney KW17 2TA
Received 1 Feb 2012 - Decided12/059/LB
Replace door with window and timber boarding
40 Alfred Street Stromness Orkney KW16 3DF
Received 2 Feb 2012 - Decided12/060/PP
Install floodlighting at shipping depot (retrospective)
Streamline Shipping Depot Grainshore Drive St Ola Orkney KW15 1GG
Received 2 Feb 2012 - Decided12/061/PP
Replace roof coverings, rainwater goods and windows; repair chimney and install pitched roof on dormer
94 Victoria Street Stromness Orkney KW16 3BS
Received 2 Feb 2012 - Decided12/062/PP
Erect a house
1 Broadsands Road (Land Near) Kirkwall Orkney
Received 3 Feb 2012 - Decided12/063/PP
Demolish former house and smithy; erect 2 houses and install air source heat pumps, biodisc private sewage plant and construct means of access
Smithy Cottage Orphir Orkney
Received 2 Feb 2012 - Decided12/064/PP
Demolish existing house and erect a replacement house
27 Franklin Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3DZ
Received 3 Feb 2012 - Decided12/065/TC
Range of tree works
The Smiddy (Land Near) St Margaret's Hope
Received 7 Feb 2012 - Decided12/066/PP
Reinstate dwelling, including new roof, skylights, rainwater goods, windows, doors and lime harl
63 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney
Received 7 Feb 2012 - Decided12/067/PP
Demolish existing attached garage, extend house and erect detached garage
Colymbus 9 Craigiefield Park St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1TE
Received 7 Feb 2012 - Decided12/068/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Springfield 5 Park Loan Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1PU
Received 6 Feb 2012 - Decided12/069/PP
Erect pitched roof over existing garage
32 Reid Crescent Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1UD
Received 6 Feb 2012 - Decided12/070/PP
Alterations to shop front
Sinclair Office Supplies 71-75 John Street Stromness Orkney KW16 3AD
Received 6 Feb 2012 - Decided12/071/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Upper Bigging (Land Near) Greeny Road Dounby Orkney KW17 2HR
Received 6 Feb 2012 - Decided12/072/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Quoyloo Quarry (Land Near) Quoyloo Sandwick Orkney Kw16 3LT
Received 6 Feb 2012 - Decided12/073/PN
Install an air source heat pump
The Links Newark Road Deerness Orkney KW17 2QH
Received 8 Feb 2012 - Decided12/074/PP
Erect a house with detached garage and install an air source heat pump
Grainbank (Plot 11) (Land Near) Kirkwall Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2012 - Decided12/075/PP
Amend planning permission 11/374/PP to relocate the house within the site and add an additional window in the lounge
Eastaquoy (Land Near) Rousay Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2012 - Decided12/076/PP
Erect 4 semi-detached houses
Byrefield (Land Near) Pierowall Westray Orkney
Received 9 Feb 2012
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
All planning guides
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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