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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/431/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
School House (Land Near) Frotoft Rousay Orkney KW17 2PT
Received 30 May 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/432/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 40m) and switchear building
The Hatcheries (Land Near) Whitemire Road Evie Orkney KW17 2NL
Received 30 May 2012 - Decided12/433/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Foveran Hotel (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 1 Jun 2012 - Decided12/434/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Carrick House (Land Near) Eday Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 1 Jun 2012 - Decided12/435/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Southfield (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BL
Received 4 Jun 2012 - Decided12/436/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
South Lodge (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BL
Received 4 Jun 2012 - Decided12/437/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 22m)
Raveyhall (Land Near) Birsay KW17 2NA
Received 4 Jun 2012 - Decided12/438/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Samsons Lane Farm (Land Near) Stronsay Orkney KW17 2AE
Received 4 Jun 2012 - Decided12/439/PP
Erect a sun porch
2 Earl Sigurd Street Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1QE
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Decided12/440/PP
Create a ground floor granny annexe and install an air source heat pump
Maynrys 4 Hatston Park St Ola Orkney KW15 1TZ
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Appeal decided12/441/MAR
Install a feed barge adjacent to existing salmon site
West Fara, South East Of Hoy, Orkney
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/442/EB
Install additional poles on existing 11,000 volt overhead line
Greenfield (Land Near), Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Decided12/443/APN
Erect 2 GP sheds with a flat roofed link building
Craigiefield (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QQ
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Decided12/444/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Templehall (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 4 Jun 2012 - Decided12/445/PP
Erect a garage/storage shed with integrated greenhouse
Braebister North Bigging Road Dounby Orkney KW17 2HZ
Received 6 Jun 2012 - Decided12/446/TPP
Erect a 15kW wind turbine (max height 21m)
Myre (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 8 Jun 2012 - Decided12/448/PN
Attach 3 x 3 element yagi antenna to existing tower
Ward Hill Radio Station, South Ronaldsay
Received 8 Jun 2012 - Decided12/449/PP
Remove cement render and lime point main elevation, replace three windows with double glazed timber sash and case windows
10 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 8 Jun 2012 - Decided12/450/TPP
Erect 3 x 10kW wind turbines (max height 19.1m)
Cott (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 8 Jun 2012 - Decided12/451/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Stoneymilders (Land Near), Swannay, Orkney, KW17 2NR
Received 11 Jun 2012 - Decided12/452/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Queena (Land Near) Gorseness Rendall Orkney
Received 12 Jun 2012 - Decided12/453/TPP
Erect boat shed and garden shed, amend planning permission 09/132/PPF to relocate and amend turbine type to a 1kW turbine (max height 6m), relocate and enlarge solar array and install heat pump
Brinian Kirk Rousay KW17 2PU
Received 12 Jun 2012 - Decided12/454/PIP
Siting of a house
Lowerhouse (Land Near) Burray Orkney
Received 13 Jun 2012 - Decided12/455/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access
Burnside (Site 2) (Land Near) Harray Orkney
Received 12 Jun 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