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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/686/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Eastersands (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 28 Sept 2012 - Decided12/687/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Newhall (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 28 Sept 2012 - Decided12/688/PP
Level site and create a laydown area and an area for storage
Lyness Industrial Estate (Site L14) (Land Near), Lyness, Hoy, Orkney
Received 1 Oct 2012 - Decided12/689/PP
Demolish chimney stack; remove corrugated sheeting and re-roof with Orkney slate; install skylights; and install replacement timber windows and door in porch
Hall Of Tankerness, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 2 Oct 2012 - Decided12/690/PP
Create 3 serviced house sites, upgrade existing access and associated works (following permission in principle - 11/731/PIP)
35 Hillside Road (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HR
Received 2 Oct 2012 - Decided12/691/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Kirkbrae (Land Near), Swanson Road, Westray, Orkney
Received 3 Oct 2012 - Decided12/692/PP
Demolish existing conservatory and extend house
Lyrowall, Quoyangry Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TW
Received 4 Oct 2012 - Decided12/693/AMC
Demolish existing derelict house and erect a replacement house (following permission in principle - 10/080/PIP)
Graemsha, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 5 Oct 2012 - Decided12/694/PP
Demolish existing detached garage and erect an integral garage
Asgard, Grandon Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ER
Received 8 Oct 2012 - Decided12/695/SCR
Screening opinion request to construct a 132kV substation and associated infrastructure
Quoyloo Village (Land To The West Of)/ Hyval (Land To The North Of), Sandwick
Received 5 Oct 2012 - Decided12/696/PP
Erect a general purpose shed and create new access
Skeetquoy (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney
Received 10 Oct 2012 - Decided12/697/PP
Install an air source heat pump
54 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 10 Oct 2012 - Decided12/698/LB
Install an air source heat pump
54 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 10 Oct 2012 - Decided12/699/TPP
Erect 2 x 900kW wind turbines (max height 67m), a switchgear building and create an access track (to supersede 2 x wind turbines (max height 46.6m) and switchgear buildings under planning applications 11/744/TPP & 11/745/TPP)
Work Farm (Land Near), Work Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 10 Oct 2012 - Decided12/700/PP
Amend approved house type, plot layout and install air source heat pump for plot 6, erect house and install air source heat pump at revised plot 6a (on vacant land adjacent to entrance to site)
Greenfield (Plot 6) (Land Near), Toab
Received 11 Oct 2012 - Decided12/701/PP
Create a vehicular access
Salties (Land Near), Sanday
Received 11 Oct 2012 - Decided12/702/PP
Demolish outbuilding and erect a replacement house
Cot-On-Hill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EA
Received 11 Oct 2012 - Decided12/703/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Cogar, Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 12 Oct 2012 - Decided12/704/PP
Continued use of land for siting a refreshments van
Point Of Buckquoy (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney,
Received 12 Oct 2012 - Decided12/705/PP
Change of use from garage to a dwelling, including demolition of existing lean-to extension, erection of extension with parapet wall, and installation of windows and doors
2 & 4 Wellington Street (Former Garage), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 12 Oct 2012 - Decided12/706/LB
Demolish lean-to extension; remove roof; form two openings in existing walls; install timber windows and doors; erect extension with rendered parapet walls; install new roof structure and finish with Welsh slates; and install skylights
2 & 4 Wellington Street (Former Garage), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 12 Oct 2012 - Appeal decided12/707/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Steinflett (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 15 Oct 2012 - Decided12/708/PP
Erect a roofed silo over an existing open silo floor
Langskaill Farm, Kirbister Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 15 Oct 2012 - Decided12/709/APN
Erect two walls and roof to bridge the gap between two existing byres
Windywalls, Aikerness Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DN
Received 17 Oct 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