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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided13/371/PP
Temporary siting of a portable storage container (Retrospective)
Workshop G10, 1 Garson Place, Garson Industrial Estate, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3EE
Received 11 Sept 2013 - Decided13/372/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 12/480/PIP)
West Links (Site 5) (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 12 Sept 2013 - Decided13/373/PP
Demolish existing porch, extend a house and alter existing roof covering
Garson, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 16 Sept 2013 - Decided13/374/MARCON
Screening opinion request to install a subsea telecommunication cable
Bay Of Tuquoy, Westray To Aikerness, Evie, Orkney
Received 16 Sept 2013 - Decided13/375/PP
Erect a storage building
The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LT
Received 16 Sept 2013 - Decided13/376/PP
Erect a GP shed
Messigate Farm, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 17 Sept 2013 - Decided13/377/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Brim (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NS
Received 18 Sept 2013 - Decided13/378/PP
Erect a slatted court
Breckowall Farm, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 18 Sept 2013 - Decided13/379/PP
Demolish stone steps; construct roof, with stone slates and skylights; form door openings; install timber windows and doors; wet harl walls; construct steps with handrail; and install ventilation extractors and exterior lighting
5 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 18 Sept 2013 - Decided13/380/LB
Demolish stone steps; remove flagstone and timber floors; construct roof, with stone slates and skylights; form three door openings; install timber windows and doors; install concrete lintels and cills; wet harl walls; construct steps with handrail; install ventilation extractors and exterior lighting; and strip rebuild interior
5 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 18 Sept 2013 - Decided13/381/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
The Bungalow & Swanson Cottage (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NP
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Decided13/382/TPP
Erect 2 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Swannay Farm (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Decided13/383/PP
Change of use from offices to retail, gallery and offices; relocate section of front railings and gate; erect single storey rear extension with flat roof, parapet, wet render and timber cladding; install air source heat pumps and erect a boundary fence
33 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Decided13/384/LB
Demolish rear extension, outbuilding and section of side boundary wall; form opening in rear gable; relocate section of front railings and gate; display two advertisements; remove partitions; erect single storey rear extension with flat roof, parapet and wet render and install air source heat pumps
33 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Decided13/385/PP
Demolish existing house and erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump
Gutterquoy (Land Near), Durkadale Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JD
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Decided13/386/APN
Erect a GP shed
Brimbanks, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 19 Sept 2013 - Withdrawn/Returned13/387/PP
Change of use from an agricultural store to a house
North Tuan, Westray, Orkney
Received 20 Sept 2013 - Decided13/388/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Oyce (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AZ
Received 20 Sept 2013 - Decided13/389/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Fairhill (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AJ
Received 20 Sept 2013 - Decided13/390/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Leabreck (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 20 Sept 2013 - Decided13/391/AMC
Reinstate derelict building to a house, extend and install an air source heat pump (Following permission in principle - 11/393/PIP)
Adam Cottage, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JA
Received 20 Sept 2013 - Decided13/392/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective), demolish existing sun porch and extend a house
Northolme, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SB
Received 23 Sept 2013 - Decided13/393/TPP
Erect 20kW wind turbine (max height 22m)
Hall Of Clestrain (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RF
Received 23 Sept 2013 - Decided13/394/APN
Erect a GP shed
Viera Lodge, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 23 Sept 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
All planning guides
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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.
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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