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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided12/782/LB
Install secondary glazing
Little Quildon, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DU
Received 6 Dec 2012 - Decided12/783/PP
Removal of wheelchair lift and reinstate the wall
Sheriff Court, Watergate, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PD
Received 10 Dec 2012 - Decided12/784/LB
Amend parking area (currently under construction 06/387/PPF) and install a handrail
Rosslyn, 1 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AN
Received 10 Dec 2012 - Withdrawn/Returned12/785/PP
Erect a self catering unit
Fea (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 11 Dec 2012 - Decided12/786/TPP
Erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 46.6m), erect a switchgear enclosure and create an access track
Rysa (Land Near), Lyness, Orkney
Received 10 Dec 2012 - Decided12/787/TPP
Erect a 60kW wind turbine (max height 32.6m) and erect switchgear building
Hunton (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 10 Dec 2012 - Decided12/788/PP
Erect a conservatory
The Harbour Master's House, Front Road, St Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SL
Received 11 Dec 2012 - Decided12/789/PP
Installation of an exhaust cowl and two external ground mounted heat exchanger units with associated security fencing
Keelylang Hill (Land Near), Grimbister, Firth
Received 13 Dec 2012 - Decided12/790/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Holland House, Church Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LQ
Received 13 Dec 2012 - Decided12/791/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump (amendment to approval of 12/405/PP)
Lynnfield Hotel (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 14 Dec 2012 - Decided12/792/TPP
Erect 2 x 60kW wind turbines (max height 32.6m) and erect a substation
Bonni-Min (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 14 Dec 2012 - Decided12/793/TPP
Erect 2 x 60kW wind turbines (max height 32.6m), substations and laydown areas
Sandend (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 17 Dec 2012 - Decided12/794/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Upper Breckan (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/795/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Saville (Land Near), Oyce Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/796/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Upperhouse (Land Near), Ortie Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/799/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Bursie Cottage (Land Near), Ortie Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/797/PP
Install 2 air source heat pumps (retrospective)
15 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/798/LB
Install 2 air source heat pumps (retrospective)
15 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX,
Received 18 Dec 2012 - Decided12/800/TPP
Amend planning permission 12/108/TPP to change from a 900kW wind turbine (max height 67m) to a 900kW wind turbine (max height 77m), switchgear building and access track
Rennibister (Land Near), Firth, Orkney
Received 19 Dec 2012 - Decided12/801/PP
Install an air source heat pump
13 Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DL,
Received 20 Dec 2012 - Decided12/802/PP
Install 6 air source heat pumps (retrospective)
96-100 Victoria Street, Stromness
Received 19 Dec 2012 - Decided12/803/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
West Thrave (Land Near), Rue Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 20 Dec 2012 - Decided12/804/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Miry Park (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 20 Dec 2012 - Decided12/805/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Stiglister On The Hill (Land Near), Coo Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 20 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
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
UK researchPublished Updated
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