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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/132/LB
Install replacement timber, double-glazed, sash and case windows (retrospective)
Westray Parish Kirk, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 1 Mar 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/133/TPP
Erect a 50kW wind turbine (max height 28.1m) and erect a switchgear building
Upper Berryhill (Land Near) Marness St Ola Orkney KW15 1SF
Received 1 Mar 2012 - Decided12/134/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 34.5m) with associated switchgear, access road and hardstanding (Amendment to 11/602/TPP)
Scapa (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 1 Mar 2012 - Decided12/135/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Ocean View (Land Near) Birsay Orkney KW17 2LT
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/136/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Cruannie (Land Near) Sourin Rousay Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/137/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Teebro (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2SA
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/138/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 47m)
Yonbell Hill (Land Near) Birsay Orkney
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/139/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 47m)
Melsetter Farm (Land Near) Longhope Orkney KW16 3NZ
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/140/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 27.2m) amended to 20kW (max height 22m)
Snippigar (Land Near) Deerness Orkney KW17 2QQ
Received 2 Mar 2012 - Decided12/141/PP
Erect an agricultural bedded court
Orkney Auction Mart Grainshore Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1FL
Received 5 Mar 2012 - Decided12/142/APN
Erect an earth-walled silo
Vetquoy Sandwick Orkney KW17 2JF
Received 5 Mar 2012 - Decided12/143/PP
Erect a poultry shed and store for free-range egg production
Vetquoy Sandwick Orkney KW17 2JF
Received 5 Mar 2012 - Decided12/144/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Carisbrooke (Land Near) St Ola Orkney KW15 1TR
Received 5 Mar 2012 - Decided12/145/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Eastlands (Land Near) Greenigoe St Ola Orkney KW15 1SG
Received 5 Mar 2012 - Decided12/146/PP
Install an air source heat pump
21 Laverock Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1EE
Received 6 Mar 2012 - Decided12/147/PP
Demolish existing conservatory and erect a sun lounge
Newlot Shapinsay Orkney KW17 2EA
Received 6 Mar 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/148/LB
Apply lime harl to 2 chimney stacks
Former Commercial Hotel 69 - 73 Victoria Street Stromness Orkney
Received 6 Mar 2012 - Decided12/149/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 22m)
Easter Greenigoe (Land Near) Orphir Orkney KW17 1SG
Received 6 Mar 2012 - Decided12/150/PP
Erect a conservatory and install an air source heat pump
Lochnagarth Sandwick Orkney KW16 3HZ
Received 7 Mar 2012 - Decided12/151/PP
Demolish existing lean-to and erect an extension
Pentland View Outertown Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3JW
Received 7 Mar 2012 - Decided12/152/TPP
Erect a 15kW wind turbine (max height 21m)
Braehead (Land Near) St Margaret's Hope Orkney KW17 2TL
Received 7 Mar 2012 - Decided12/153/LB
Alterations to convert mill and horse engine shed to a dwelling - demolish section of south-west wall; replace roof structures and finishes; install roof lights; new and replacement openings, windows and doors; install timber-clad walls; and erect two flat-roofed extensions
Tresness Mill And Horse Engine Shed Sanday Orkney
Received 7 Mar 2012 - Decided12/154/PP
Convert mill and horse engine shed to a dwelling, including two extensions and re-roofing, wall cladding, and new windows and doors
Tresness Mill And Horse Engine Shed Sanday Orkney
Received 7 Mar 2012 - Decided12/156/PP
Erect 21 houses with associated works
Back Road (Land Near), Stromness Orkney
Received 8 Mar 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
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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