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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/482/PP
Install an air source heat pump
34 Warrenfield Crescent Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1QB
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/483/PP
Install an air source heat pump
3 Burnside Flotta Stromness Orkney KW16 3NP
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/484/PP
Replace paving in front of shop with flagstones; paint upper floors of building frontage and shop stall risers; and install exterior lighting to approved flats
31 Albert Street Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1HL
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/485/AMC
Erect a house and detached garage (following permission in principle - 12/057/PIP)
Towerhill (Site 1) (Land Near) St Ola Orkney KW15 1SR
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/486/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 14.5m)
Biggings (Land Near) Stenness Orkney KW16 3EY
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/487/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Eastaquoy (Land Near) Harray Orkney KW17 2LA
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/488/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Clouster (Land Near) Bu Road Cairston Stromness Orkney KW16 3JH
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/489/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 28m) and a switchgear building
Wideford Mains (Site 2) (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SS
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/490/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 28m) and a switchgear building
Wideford Mains (Site 3) (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SS
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/491/LB
Paint upper floors of building frontage and shop stall risers; and install exterior lighting to approved flats
31 Albert Street Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1HL
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/492/PP
Erect a temporary bird observation hide for data collecting
Outshore Point Brough Head Birsay Orkney
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/493/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Fairview, Eastquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LT
Received 22 Jun 2012 - Decided12/494/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Hammerfield (Land Near) Westside Road Rousay Orkney KW17 2PS
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/495/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Beafield (Land Near) Sanday Orkney
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/496/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 22m)
Hammerbreck (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BL
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/497/PP
Demolish existing house and garage and erect a replacement house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
Inner Oran Eastquoy Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1LT
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/498/PP
Erect a house and create an access
East Gretna Green (Land Near) Gretna Green Road Westray Orkney KW17 2DD
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/499/TPP
Erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 28m) and a switchgear building
Dalespot (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/500/PN
Install a 11Kv overhead line
Seal Cottage (Land Near) Orphir Orkney
Received 26 Jun 2012 - Decided12/501/EB
Install additional poles on existing 11,000 volt overhead line
Greenfield (Land Near), Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 26 Jun 2012 - Decided12/502/PP
Extend a cold store
Orkney Fishermen's Society Garson Industrial Estate Cairston Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3JU
Received 26 Jun 2012 - Decided12/503/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
Westshore (Site 4) (Land Near) Burray Orkney
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/504/PP
Replace windows with timber sash and case windows; block two window openings; install a skylight; replace UPVC door with timber door; and reduce height of chimney stack
13 Ness Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3DL
Received 25 Jun 2012 - Decided12/505/PP
Erect a general purpose store
10 Crowness Road Hatston Orkney KW15 1RG
Received 26 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