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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided13/048/PP
Erect a replacement house (amendment to approval of 10/626/AMC)
Parkhouse (Site 3) (Land Near), Grimness, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 23 Jan 2013 - Decided13/049/PP
Install 2 x 900mm microwave dishes to 30m mast
Flotta Oil Terminal, Flotta, Orkney, KW16 3NP
Received 24 Jan 2013 - Decided13/050/PP
Erect a supermarket, with ATM, refrigeration units, and zinc and stone cladding; and construct associated stone boundaries, a pedestrian footway, car parking, vehicular access and landscaping
Former West Mainland Auction Mart Site, Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 25 Jan 2013 - Decided13/051/PP
Demolish a redundant building, erect a replacement house and create an access
The Cottage (Land Near), Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2EZ
Received 28 Jan 2013 - Decided13/052/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Old Quoyscottie (Land Near), Cloke Road, Birsay, Orkney
Received 30 Jan 2013 - Decided13/053/EB
Install a H pole structure
Banks Quarry (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 1 Feb 2013 - Decided13/054/TC
Minor pruning works to various mature trees
Earls Palace, Watergate, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1PD,
Received 1 Feb 2013 - Decided13/055/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump, erect a garden shed, form opening in boundary wall, construct vehicular access and associated landscaping
Sweyn Court (Land Near), Marengo Road, St Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Received 4 Feb 2013 - Decided13/056/PP
Erect a guest house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump, erect a self-catering unit and install an air source heat pump, erect associated stable/kennel block, create an access and install two septic tanks
Breckland (Land Near) Beaquoy Road, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 4 Feb 2013 - Decided13/057/TC
Minor pruning works to tree
Aigen, 2 Manse Lane, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BX
Received 5 Feb 2013 - Decided13/058/TPP
Reinstate a house, extend clad with timber and erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Westend, Whaness, Hoy, Orkney
Received 5 Feb 2013 - Decided13/059/LB
Erect a timber clad-extension and form doorway in gable
Westend, Whaness, Hoy, Orkney
Received 5 Feb 2013 - Decided13/060/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Manse Bay (Land Near), Aikers Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 6 Feb 2013 - Decided13/061/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Brims (Land Near), Swannay, Birsay, Orkney
Received 6 Feb 2013 - Decided13/062/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Dunroamin (Land Near), Airafea Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 7 Feb 2013 - Decided13/063/APN
Extend existing GP shed
Strathore, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2013 - Decided13/064/APN
Erect a GP shed
Noltland (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2013 - Decided13/065/MARREV
Review by Scottish Government on existing fish farm - Install 12 cages of 70m circumference and 12 poromatic feeders including ancillary cage grid and all moorings
Carness Bay, St Ola, Orkney
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Withdrawn/Returned13/066/TPN
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Noltland (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Decided13/067/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
9 Grimsetter Drive (Plot A) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XT
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Decided13/068/PN
Install a 11kV substation
Coplands Dock Pier (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Decided13/069/MARREV
Review by Scottish Government on marine finfish farm on site at Lyrawa Bay (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Lyrawa Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Decided13/070/MARREV
Review by Scottish Government on marine finfish farm on site at Pegal Bay (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Pegal Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 11 Feb 2013 - Decided13/071/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Skea (Land Near), Aikerskaill Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 13 Feb 2013
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