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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/009/PP
Extend a house
Glenisla, Orphir, Orkney, KW15 1SG
Received 7 Jan 2014 - Decided14/010/PP
Extend a house
Gorn, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EB
Received 7 Jan 2014 - Decided14/011/PP
Demolish outbuildings, erect a shed and create an access
Bigging, Beaquoy Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 7 Jan 2014 - Decided14/012/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Quoybanks (Land Near), North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BG
Received 8 Jan 2014 - Decided14/013/PIP
Demolish existing redundant building and siting of a house
Houth (Land Near), Houton, Orphir, KW17 2RE
Received 8 Jan 2014 - Decided14/014/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Barony Hotel (Land Near), Wattle Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LS
Received 9 Jan 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/015/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Colligarth Cottage (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BW
Received 10 Jan 2014 - Decided14/016/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
14 Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH
Received 13 Jan 2014 - Decided14/017/PP
Paint external wall
112 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/018/TC
Crown reduction
112 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/019/PP
Replace roof covering with Welsh slates, install replacement windows and paint walls
The Haven, 2 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/020/MAR
Change existing 10 x 90m circumference cages to 10 x 100m circumference cages and reposition
Meil Bay, St Ola, Orkney
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/021/MAR
Change existing 12 x 70m circumference cages to 12 x 100m circumference cages and reposition
Carness Bay, St Ola, Orkney
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/023/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Braehead, Warthill Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 15 Jan 2014 - Decided14/024/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
Weyland Drive (Plot 11) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 15 Jan 2014 - Decided14/025/PP
Siting of a portable building (retrospective)
Claybraes (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2TJ
Received 15 Jan 2014 - Decided14/026/LB
Paint external wall
112 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 14 Jan 2014 - Decided14/027/PP
Change of use from squash court to storage, erect a garage and create parking area
Former Kirkwall Squash Club (Court 1 And Adjacent Land), Scotts Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GR
Received 20 Jan 2014 - Decided14/028/PP
Erect a domestic shed
Dounby Farm, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2JE
Received 21 Jan 2014 - Decided14/029/PP
Repaint shop fascia
The Quernstone, 38 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 15 Jan 2014 - Decided14/030/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Seatter Farm, Stromness, Orkney
Received 21 Jan 2014 - Decided14/031/PP
Extend a house
5A Coplands Drive, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BN
Received 21 Jan 2014 - Decided14/032/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
Weyland Drive (Plot 2) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 22 Jan 2014 - Decided14/033/TC
Crown thin and removal of damaged branches
Craigholm, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AJ
Received 22 Jan 2014
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