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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/558/PP
Extend existing laydown area for plant and containers (Amendment to planning permission 10/457/PP)
Sandybank (Land Near) Eday Orkney
Received 20 Jul 2012 - Decided12/559/PP
Extend a house
Marclair Glaitness Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1TN
Received 23 Jul 2012 - Decided12/560/PP
Extend a house and garage
7 Scapa Distillery Cottages, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 23 Jul 2012 - Decided12/561/TPP
Erect a 60kW wind turbine (max height 32.6m), switchgear building and access track
Lochend (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 23 Jul 2012 - Decided12/562/TPP
Erect 2 x 15kW wind turbines (max height 21m) (To supersede planning permission 11/428/TPP for 2 x wind turbines (max height 20m)
Standpretty (Land Near) Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/563/PP
Install replacement doors, and replacement double glazed windows
Masonic Lodge, 5 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3AA
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/564/LB
Install replacement doors, and replacement double glazed windows
Masonic Lodge, 5 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/565/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Annfield (Site 1) (Land Near), Tankerness
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/566/PP
Use of land as archaeological visitor facility in addition to existing use as house, restaurant/bistro and tourist accommodation
Banks, Cleat, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RW
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/568/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 18.2m)
Ingsay (Land Near), Swannay, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NS
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/570/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 19m)
Altair (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 25 Jul 2012 - Decided12/571/PP
Create an access road off The Meadows for use as alternative access to the special needs department
Kirkwall Grammar School (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QN
Received 25 Jul 2012 - Decided12/572/PN
Install additional pole and 11,000 volt overhead line
Heatherhouse (Land Near) Tankerness Orkney
Received 24 Jul 2012 - Decided12/573/S36CON
Consultation on section 36 application for the development of a 86mW tidal energy project
Inner Sound Of The Pentland Firth
Received 30 Jul 2012 - Decided12/574/TPP
Erect a 20kW & a 15kW wind turbine (max height 22m & 21m)
Rowland (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2RY
Received 30 Jul 2012 - Decided12/575/VR
Vary condition 2 of planning permission 09/259/PPO to extend consent for the siting of a replacement house
Honeysgoe (Land Near) South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2TH
Received 30 Jul 2012 - Decided12/576/APN
Erect a GP shed
Mossbank Littlequoy Road Burray Orkney KW17 2SX
Received 1 Aug 2012 - Decided12/577/PIP
Demolish disused nissen hut and siting of a replacement house
Daisybank (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 1 Aug 2012 - Decided12/578/TPP
Erect 2 x 20kW wind turbines (max height 22m)
Breck (Land Near) Old Finstown Road St Ola Orkney KW15 1TR
Received 1 Aug 2012 - Decided12/579/APN
Erect a GP shed
Pole Ness Road Burray Orkney KW17 2TA
Received 2 Aug 2012 - Decided12/580/PP
Demolish redundant agricultural buildings and erect a replacement house (to serve the adjacent farm) with integral garage and an air source heat pump
Rowland (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2RY
Received 2 Aug 2012 - Decided12/581/AD
Display a non illuminated fascia sign
Grainbank Cottage St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1RD
Received 3 Aug 2012 - Decided12/582/PP
Remove and replace existing asbestos and slate roof coverings with natural slate and alter existing extensions
Stove, Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3LX
Received 3 Aug 2012 - Decided12/583/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Breckness Stenness Orkney KW16 3JX
Received 3 Aug 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