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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided13/272/PP
Erect 12 semi-detached houses, create 3 serviced sites and create access road, parking areas and footpaths/cycleways
St Margaret's Road (Land Near), St Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Received 2 Jul 2013 - Decided13/273/MARREV
Review by Scottish Government on marine finfish farm on site at Puldrite (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Puldrite, Wide Firth, Orkney
Received 3 Jul 2013 - Decided13/275/PP
Extend a house and alter existing roof covering
Breckness, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NH
Received 3 Jul 2013 - Decided13/276/PP
Erect a house with a detached double garage and an air source heat pump
Nearhouse (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 4 Jul 2013 - Decided13/277/PP
Reinstate a house, extend, install an air source heat pump and create a serviced site
Peace, Quoyloo, Orkney
Received 4 Jul 2013 - Decided13/278/PP
Extend a house
Leigh, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JF
Received 4 Jul 2013 - Decided13/279/PIP
Demolish redundant buildings and siting of a house
North Dawn (Land Near), Moss Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SA
Received 4 Jul 2013 - Decided13/280/PP
Install a radio aerial
Former Warehouse, Pierhead, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 5 Jul 2013 - Decided13/281/LB
Install a radio aerial
Former Warehouse, Pierhead, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 5 Jul 2013 - Decided13/282/PP
Erect 4 houses and create access road
Shorelands (Land Near), 22 George Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PP
Received 5 Jul 2013 - Decided13/283/PP
Install double glazing in existing window frames
67 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/284/LB
Install double glazing in existing window frames, and alterations to internal partition wall
67 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/285/MARREV
Review by Scottish Government on marine finfish farm on site at Bay Of Vady (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Bay Of Vady, Rousay Sound, Orkney
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/286/PP
Extend a house
4 North End Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AG
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/287/PP
Convert mill and horse engine shed to a house - amendment to 12/154/PP to include additional accommodation and covered passage
Tresness Mill And Horse Engine Shed, Sanday, Orkney
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/288/LB
Demolish ruinous walls of former byre and erect domestic accommodation and covered passage - works additional to 12/153/LB
Tresness Mill And Horse Engine Shed, Sanday, Orkney
Received 8 Jul 2013 - Decided13/289/PP
Demolish existing house and erect a replacement house and install a ground source heat pump (amendment to approval of 10/288/PP)
Tornaveen, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LY
Received 9 Jul 2013 - Decided13/290/PP
Re-paint shop front; including windows, fascia, hanging sign and masonry
Begg Shoes & Bags Ltd, 26 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 10 Jul 2013 - Decided13/291/TPO
Minor pruning works adjacent to public road
Ayre Cottage, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2EG
Received 11 Jul 2013 - Decided13/292/PP
Demolish existing agricultural building and erect a slatted court
South Seatter, Yesnaby Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LP
Received 11 Jul 2013 - Decided13/293/LB
Erect a porch
Lower Millfield, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AG
Received 12 Jul 2013 - Decided13/294/PP
Erect a slurry store
Lower Cottiscarth, Cottiscarth Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 15 Jul 2013 - Decided13/295/PP
Erect a slatted byre
Burness, Burness Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ET
Received 15 Jul 2013 - Decided13/296/LB
Erect a lean-to greenhouse
Rosslyn, 1 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AN
Received 15 Jul 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