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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/634/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump (Amend planning permission 12/040/PP)
Nears (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 29 Aug 2012 - Decided12/635/EB
Install one span of high voltage overhead line
Wattle Farm (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 30 Aug 2012 - Decided12/636/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Fursan (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 30 Aug 2012 - Decided12/637/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Hillside (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 30 Aug 2012 - Decided12/638/TPP
Erect a 15kW wind turbine (max height 21m)
Cauldhame (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 30 Aug 2012 - Decided12/641/SCR
Screening opinion request for up to 5 x 500kW wind turbines (max height 46.6m)
Powdykes (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 29 Aug 2012 - Decided12/642/VR
Vary condition 1 of planning permission 07/611/PPF to extend consent to erect a house
The Knowe (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 31 Aug 2012 - Decided12/643/PP
Erect 4 semi-detached houses and create 11 serviced sites with associated road and street lighting improvements
Former Black Building, Berstane Loan (Land Near), Kirkwall
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/644/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Hottit (Land Near), Grimness, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/645/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Farafield (Land Near), Durkadale Road, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2JD
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/646/PP
Install an air source heat pump
39 Scapa Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RL
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/647/EB
Install an additional pole on existing 11,000 volt overhead line
Backakelday (Land Near), Holm, Orkney
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/648/EB
Install a 11,000 volt overhead line
Walkerhouse Farm (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 3 Sept 2012 - Decided12/650/PP
Re-roof and extend existing farm building, and erect an adjoined farm building
Rennibister, Firth, Orkney
Received 4 Sept 2012 - Decided12/651/PP
Extend a house
Runa, Fidgarth Road, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LR
Received 4 Sept 2012 - Decided12/652/PP
Erect an agricultural general purpose shed
Lowerlands Midhouse (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 5 Sept 2012 - Decided12/653/TPP
Erect 2 x 10kW wind turbines (max height 18.5m)
Scruit (Land Near), Lochside, Swannay, Orkney
Received 5 Sept 2012 - Decided12/654/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m) (To supersede planning permission 12/411/TPP)
Hall Of Heddle (Land Near), Finstown, Orkney
Received 6 Sept 2012 - Decided12/655/TC
Pruning works to seven trees, and felling of three dead/decayed trees
7 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 7 Sept 2012 - Decided12/656/AMC
Erect a replacement house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle - 10/003/PIP)
Crowdgeo (Site 2) (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2012 - Decided12/657/TPP
Erect a 10kW wind turbine (max height 18.5m)
Lower Lidda (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney
Received 10 Sept 2012 - Decided12/658/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Chapelbrae (Land Near), Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 10 Sept 2012 - Decided12/659/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Rossmyre (Land Near), Grimbister, Firth, Orkney
Received 10 Sept 2012 - Decided12/660/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18m)
Orquil Manse (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 10 Sept 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