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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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: 13 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/077/PIP
Demolish a derelict house and siting of a replacement house
Sunnybrae (Land Near) Sunnybank Road St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1TP
Received 9 Feb 2012 - Decided12/078/TC
Range of tree works
Kirkwall Conservation Area (Various Locations Within) Kirkwall
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/079/TC
Range of tree works
Stromness Conservation Area (Various Locations Within) Stromness
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/080/TPP
Erect 2 x 20kW wind turbines (max height 27.2m)
Balfour Cottage (Land Near) Stenness Orkney KW16 3HA
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/081/PP
Install an air source heat pump
4 Sunfield Burray Orkney KW17 2TE
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/082/PPMAJ
Erect a detached house, 33 semi-detached houses and 6 serviced sites with associated infrastructure
Garson (Land Near) Stromness Orkney
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/083/PP
Install emergency overflow return pipe from container in the EMEC compound to the foreshore; trenching and burial of a pipeline running from the container offshore; a cleaning pig access point located adjacent to the EMEC substation; and two accompanying temporary laydown and assembly areas
EMEC Billia Croo Stromness Orkney
Received 10 Feb 2012 - Decided12/084/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Skibbowick (Plot 10) (Land Near) Tankerness Orkney
Received 13 Feb 2012 - Decided12/085/TPP
Erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 46.6m)
New Holland (Land Near) Stratheast Road Holm
Received 14 Feb 2012 - Decided12/086/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Chapel Cottage Bu Road Burray Orkney KW17 2SZ
Received 14 Feb 2012 - Decided12/087/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 18.5m)
Green (Land Near) Ruah Road Eday
Received 14 Feb 2012 - Decided12/088/AD
Display individual lettering and projecting sign on front elevation, and illuminated fascia sign on rear, car park elevation
19 Albert Street (Former Argo's Bakery) Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1HP
Received 14 Feb 2012 - Decided12/089/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and create a new access
Little Millhouse (Land Near) Deerness Orkney KW17 2QH
Received 15 Feb 2012 - Decided12/091/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 40m) and erect a control cabinet
Orkney Auction Mart (Land Near) Grainshore Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1FL
Received 16 Feb 2012 - Decided12/092/PP
Install heating, ventilation and refrigeration plant on enclosed flat roof
19 Albert Street (Former Argo's Bakery) Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1HP
Received 16 Feb 2012 - Decided12/093/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Corston (Land Near) Harray Orkney KW17 2LQ
Received 16 Feb 2012 - Decided12/094/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Newington Holm Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1PY
Received 17 Feb 2012 - Decided12/095/PP
Install a 50kW ground mounted solar array
The Orcadian Hell's Half Acre Crowness Crescent Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1DW
Received 17 Feb 2012 - Decided12/096/PP
Erect a house and retention of existing house as an annexe to the proposed house
Redland (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 20 Feb 2012 - Decided12/097/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/604/PP to change from 4 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 15m) to 1 x 80kW wind turbine (max height 40m) and erect a control cabinet
Orkney Auction Mart (Land Near) Grainshore Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1FL
Received 16 Feb 2012 - Decided12/098/LB
Install internal wall insulation to 5 rooms
Samsons Lane Farm Stronsay Orkney KW17 2AE
Received 17 Feb 2012 - Decided12/100/TPP
Erect a 15kW wind turbine (max height 21m)
Ranganoust (Land Near) Orphir Orkney KW17 2RB
Received 21 Feb 2012 - Decided12/102/APN
Demolish part of 2 sheds and erect a replacement GP shed
Cott Of Newark Rendall Orkney KW17 2HF
Received 21 Feb 2012 - Decided12/103/PP
Reinstatement of a two storey house, incorporating an adjoining outbuilding and forming single storey extensions to replace a ruinous outbuilding
Marwick House Birsay Orkney KW17 2ND
Received 21 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
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
UK researchPublished Updated
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