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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/233/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect 3 x 0.85mW replacement turbines (max height 75m)
Bu Wind Farm (Land Near) Stronsay Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/234/TPN
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Seaquoys (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/235/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump
Cott Of Ness (Land Near) Tankerness Orkney KW17 2QS
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/236/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Rowamo (Land Near) Finstown Orkney KW17 2EL
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/237/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 18m)
Veltan (Land Near) Swannay Birsay Orkney KW17 2NR
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/238/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 18m) to serve Brekka and Midbea
Nistigar (Land Near) Westray Orkney KW17 2DP
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/239/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 18m)
Easthouse (Land Near) Holm Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/240/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Grandon (Land Near) Finstown Orkney KW17 2EP
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/241/PP
Erect an agricultural general purpose shed
Berriedale Farm South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2TQ
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/242/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Eastaquoy Cottage (Land Near) Harray Orkney KW17 2LA
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/243/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Sandsend (Land Near) Shapinsay Orkney KW17 2EB
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/244/PP
Erect a stable block for private use
Crantit (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/245/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Hyndgreenie (Land Near) Rue Road Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/246/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Queena (Land Near) Birsay Orkney KW17 2NS
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/247/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Bressigarth (Land Near) Bressigarth Road Sanday Orkney KW17 2BW
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/248/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Essaquoy (Land Near) Bigland Road Rousay Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/249/PP
Erect 2 semi-detached houses with air source heat pumps
The Palace (Plots 7A & 7B) (Land Near) Birsay Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/250/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Branstone (Land Near) Westray Orkney
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/251/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Faroe (Land Near) Sourin Road Rousay Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 11 Apr 2012 - Decided12/252/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Midgarth (Land Near) Stronsay Orkney KW17 2AT
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/253/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Kirkgate (Land Near) Westside Road Rousay Orkney KW17 2PS
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/254/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Springbank (Land Near) South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2TJ
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/255/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Blackhammer (Land Near) Westside Road Rousay Orkney KW17 2PS
Received 10 Apr 2012 - Decided12/256/LB
Demolish entrance porch, install timber storm doors, erect boundary wall, erect a steel-framed, curtain-glazed, flat-roofed conservatory on principal elevation, re-roof and replace rainwater goods on original building
Ayre Hotel Ayre Road Kirkwall KW15 1QX
Received 10 Apr 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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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