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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided13/172/PIP
Siting of a house
28 Burnside (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TF
Received 9 Apr 2013 - Decided13/170/TPO
Crown reduction and minor pruning
Orkney Wireless Museum (Land Near), 1 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 9 Apr 2013 - Decided13/173/LB
Install replacement timber door
19 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 10 Apr 2013 - Decided13/174/PP
Erect a replacement house with integral garage, create an access and install water source heat pump
Bay Of Work (Land Near), Near Work Farm, St Ola, Orkney
Received 11 Apr 2013 - Decided13/175/MARAUD
Audit of marine finfish farm on site at Toyness (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Toyness, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 11 Apr 2013 - Decided13/176/PP
Change of use from office to flat
4B Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NW
Received 12 Apr 2013 - Decided13/177/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Stenaquoy (Land Near), Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 15 Apr 2013 - Decided13/178/PP
Erect a polytunnel (retrospective)
45 John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD
Received 12 Apr 2013 - Decided13/179/PP
Erect a conservatory, install dormer windows and install an air source heat pump
13 Lynn Park, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SL
Received 16 Apr 2013 - Decided13/180/PP
Extend a house and erect a detached garage
Stonehall, Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 16 Apr 2013 - Decided13/181/AD
Display banners on temporary fencing around development site
Pierhead (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 18 Apr 2013 - Decided13/183/PP
Erect a detached double garage
Heatherhall, Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 22 Apr 2013 - Decided13/184/PP
Erect a triple garage
Park Cottage, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EX
Received 23 Apr 2013 - Decided13/185/PP
Extend a house
Old Schoolhouse, Grobister Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 23 Apr 2013 - Decided13/186/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and erect a detached garage (amendment to approval of 12/554/PP)
Wideford Farm (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SS
Received 23 Apr 2013 - Decided13/187/PP
Change of use of part of premises from storage (storing fishing gear) to fish processing
Work Shop, Maitland Place, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2EQ
Received 24 Apr 2013 - Decided13/188/PP
Install replacement timber windows and extractor fan
West End House Cromarty Square St Margaret's Hope South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2SN
Received 24 Apr 2013 - Decided13/189/PP
Demolish existing house and erect 24 flats with car parking
Ayre House (Land Near), Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QZ
Received 24 Apr 2013 - Decided13/190/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a 80kW wind turbine (max height 40m)
Golf Course (Land Near), Sunnybank, St Ola, Orkney
Received 24 Apr 2013 - Decided13/191/PP
Extend a house and convert existing outbuilding to provide ancillary living accommodation
Halley Farm, Halley Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 25 Apr 2013 - Decided13/192/PP
Create 10 serviced house sites, erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump, construct access road, and improve road junction
Souley (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 26 Apr 2013 - Decided13/193/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump
Coplands Road, (Plot 15) (No 7) (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BW
Received 29 Apr 2013 - Decided13/194/PP
Remediate former refuse tip; erect a house with integral garage and air source heat pump, and upgrade existing access
Fea Hill (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney
Received 29 Apr 2013 - Decided13/195/PIP
Demolish a redundant building, siting of a house and create an access
Weaverhall (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 30 Apr 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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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