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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/758/SCR
Screening opinion request to extract stone
Liddle's Quarry, Orphir, Orkney
Received 22 Nov 2012 - Decided12/759/PP
Create a car park
Noltland Castle (Land Near), Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 22 Nov 2012 - Decided12/760/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m) (To supersede planning permission 12/637/TPP)
Hillside (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 26 Nov 2012 - Decided12/761/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 46.6m)
Noltland (land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 26 Nov 2012 - Decided12/762/PN
Demolish a house
Willowgrange, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NA
Received 26 Nov 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/763/PP
Demolish existing porch and erect a replacement porch
Smithfield Cottage, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PH
Received 27 Nov 2012 - Decided12/764/EB
Install a 7.5km, 33kV overhead electricity line from Moss Road, Holm to Stembister Road, Toab
Barns Of Ayre Windfarm (Land Near), Moss Road, Holm To Stembister Road, Toab, Orkney
Received 27 Nov 2012 - Decided12/765/PIP
Siting of a house
Hillside (Land Near), Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 28 Nov 2012 - Decided12/766/TPP
Erect a 60kW wind turbine (max height 26.6m)
Skerryvoe (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 28 Nov 2012 - Decided12/767/VR
Vary condition 1 of planning permission 08/431/PPF to extend consent to house wave tank testing
Store, Wardhill Road (Land Near) Stromness, Orkney
Received 28 Nov 2012 - Decided12/768/PP
Erect 2 detached houses with air source heat pumps
Weyland Terrace (Plots C & D) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LS
Received 30 Nov 2012 - Decided12/769/PP
Erect a house, tractor shed/outbuilding/barn and create an access (amendment to 09/457/PP)
Yarrow (Land Near), Burness, Sanday
Received 30 Nov 2012 - Decided12/770/PP
Erect a house with integral annexe, install an air source heat pump and create an access
The Noddle (Land Near), Lyness, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NU
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/771/PP
Amend parking area (currently under construction 06/387/PPF) and install a handrail
Rosslyn, 1 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AN
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/772/PP
Reinstate a house; re- roof with Orkney slate; form single window opening; install replacement timber windows and doors; install skylights; and form opening in dyke
But & Ben, Hall Of Tankerness, Tankerness Hall Road, Orkney
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/773/LB
Alterations to accompany reinstatement of residential use - re-roof with Orkney slate; form single window opening; install replacement timber windows and doors; install skylights; install floors, partitions and interior insulation; and form opening in dyke
But & Ben, Hall Of Tankerness, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, Orkney
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/774/PP
Change of use from retail to cafe and hot food take-away and retail, and install two extractor fans
37 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/775/PP
Erect an agricultural building with an underground slurry storage tank
Fersness Farm, Westside Road, Eday, Orkney
Received 4 Dec 2012 - Decided12/776/PP
Create 3 serviced sites and create an access
Millfield Cottage (Land Near), Quoyholm Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LL
Received 3 Dec 2012 - Decided12/777/PIP
Demolish 3 redundant outbuildings and siting of 2 replacement houses
Greens (Land Near), Biggings Road, Toab, Orkney
Received 4 Dec 2012 - Decided12/778/PIP
Siting of a house
Springs (Land Near), Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney
Received 4 Dec 2012 - Decided12/779/LB
Removal of wheelchair lift and reinstate the wall
Sheriff Court, Watergate, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PD
Received 5 Dec 2012 - Decided12/780/PN
Install an air source heat pump
Rannabrae, Grimbust Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DE
Received 5 Dec 2012 - Decided12/781/EB
Install a 11kV overhead electricity line
Hamar Farm (Land Near), Skelwick, Westray,
Received 6 Dec 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