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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/109/LB
Install replacement metal painted handrails and alter steps
Earls Palace Dental Practice, Watergate, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PD
Received 11 Mar 2014 - Decided14/110/PP
Erect 2 semi-detached houses
Taftingus Place (Land Near), St Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Received 12 Mar 2014 - Decided14/111/PIP
Siting of a house for an agricultural worker
Sultigeo (Land Near), Ireland Road, Stenness, Stromness, Orkney
Received 12 Mar 2014 - Decided14/112/PP
Alterations and improvements to a house for a disabled person including replace roof covering with Welsh slate
Noltland, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 13 Mar 2014 - Decided14/113/PN
Install additional pole on existing 11kV overhead line
Clickimin (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 14 Mar 2014 - Decided14/114/PP
Improve existing access, create a hard standing area and install an electric car charging point.
Howanbank, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 17 Mar 2014 - Decided14/115/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (amendment to approval of 08/341/PPF)
North House, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 18 Mar 2014 - Decided14/116/APN
Erect a GP shed
Braehead, Toab, Deerness, Orkney
Received 18 Mar 2014 - Decided14/117/PN
Install an air source heat pump
Easthouse, Toab, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 18 Mar 2014 - Decided14/118/PP
Erect a detatched garage
Orkney Sea Cadets (Land Near), Scapa, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 20 Mar 2014 - Decided14/119/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 11/076/PIP)
Orquil (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 20 Mar 2014 - Decided14/120/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Shorelands, 22 George Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PP
Received 20 Mar 2014 - Decided14/121/PP
Extend a slatted byre
Kirkton, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EB
Received 20 Mar 2014 - Decided14/122/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and alter means of vehicular access (amendment to approval of 12/062/PP)
1 Broadsands Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Mar 2014 - Decided14/123/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 11/124/PIP)
Horsick (Land Near), Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 21 Mar 2014 - Decided14/124/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and create an access (following permission in principle - 11/057/PIP)
East Heddle (Land Near), Heddle Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2JX
Received 21 Mar 2014 - Decided14/125/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and create an access (following permission in principle 11/058/PIP)
Hall Of Heddle (Land Near), Heddle Road, Firth, Orkney
Received 21 Mar 2014 - Decided14/126/PP
Erect 4 semi-detached houses
Kirk Park (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 21 Mar 2014 - Decided14/127/PP
Remove cement and harl walls, remove uPVC and install replacement timber windows and door and works to rear extension
Roselea, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 24 Mar 2014 - Decided14/128/PP
Extend a house for a disabled person
7A Coplands Drive, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BN
Received 24 Mar 2014 - Decided14/129/MARAUD
Audit of marine finfish farm on site at Bring Head (consent by Crown Estates - prior to 2007)
Bring Head, North East Hoy, Orkney
Received 24 Mar 2014 - Decided14/130/PIP
Siting of a house for an agricultural worker and create an access
Summerfield (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 25 Mar 2014 - Decided14/131/PP
Extend a shed
Oaklea, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 25 Mar 2014 - Decided14/132/PP
Erect a house (amendment to house approved in accordance with extant planning permission 09/439/PP)
Nearhouse (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 25 Mar 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