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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/157/APN
Erect a GP shed
Garth, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QQ
Received 7 Apr 2014 - Decided14/158/TPP
Erect 3 x 5kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Kirkwall Waste Water Treatment Works (Land Near) Work Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 8 Apr 2014 - Decided14/159/PP
Demolish existing school; erect a replacement school; construct carpark; install playing areas and football pitch and associated drainage and landscaping works
Evie Primary School (Land Near) Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 8 Apr 2014 - Decided14/160/AD
Display a printed aluminium sign
Pomona Cafe, 9 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 9 Apr 2014 - Decided14/161/LB
Display an aluminium sign
Pomona Cafe, 9 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 9 Apr 2014 - Decided14/162/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Sheepsquoy (Land Near), Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 11 Apr 2014 - Decided14/163/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump, erect a shed/garage and create an access (following permission in principle 12/128/PIP)
Breck (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2014 - Decided14/164/PP
Change of use from a granny annex to self-catering unit (retrospective)
The Stables, Avelshay, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 15 Apr 2014 - Decided14/165/PIP
Siting of 2 houses and create access
Evie Glebe (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 16 Apr 2014 - Decided14/166/PP
Demolish existing and construct a replacement bridge; construct a temporary road and bridge; raise embankment; construct walls and fence; and install gabion baskets.
Kirbister Water Works (Land Near) And A964 Bridge Over Mill Burn, Orphir, Orkney
Received 16 Apr 2014 - Decided14/167/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 11/226/PIP)
Nisthouse (Plot 2) (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 17 Apr 2014 - Decided14/168/PP
Demolish existing porch, extend a house, install two dormer windows and install an air source heat pump
Netherlynn, 2 Burnside, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TF
Received 17 Apr 2014 - Decided14/169/PN
Install an additional pole and underground cable
Souley (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2014 - Decided14/170/APN
Erect a GP shed
Cruar, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 18 Apr 2014 - Decided14/173/PP
Erect a house and create an access
Newhall (Land Near), Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 22 Apr 2014 - Decided14/174/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle 11/116/PIP)
Winksetter (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 23 Apr 2014 - Decided14/175/APN
Erect a GP shed
Skeabrae Airfield (Land Nead), Garson Farm, Sandwick
Received 23 Apr 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/176/PP
Create a rooftop terrace
The Torvhaug, 4 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 23 Apr 2014 - Decided14/177/PP
Single storey extension and canopy to provide goods storage and delivery point; and resite oil tank and erect surrounding blast wall
Tesco, 18 Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 24 Apr 2014 - Decided14/178/PP
Extend a house
Gigha, Carness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UE
Received 24 Apr 2014 - Decided14/179/LB
Remove cement render and lime harl external walls
27 - 29 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 25 Apr 2014 - Decided14/180/PP
Erect a house and create an access
Isles View (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AG
Received 25 Apr 2014 - Decided14/181/PP
Land improvement works involving importing soils and raising land levels (retrospective)
Crantit Farmhouse (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 25 Apr 2014 - Decided14/182/PP
Extend a house over existing garage
Karisgil, 43 Hamnavoe, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JQ
Received 28 Apr 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
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