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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Withdrawn/Returned14/183/PP
Reopen doorway, install roof terrace and balustrade and display plaques
Kitchener Memorial, Birsay, Orkney
Received 29 Apr 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/184/LB
Reopen doorway, install internal staircase, roof terrace and balustrade and display plaques
Kitchener Memorial, Birsay, Orkney
Received 29 Apr 2014 - Decided14/185/PP
Extend a house and replace rooflights
Quoyloo Cottage, Front Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SL
Received 30 Apr 2014 - Decided14/186/PP
Demolish house and erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump
Brigafea, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 30 Apr 2014 - Decided14/187/PP
Extend agricultural building to provide slatted court with an underground slurry tank
Hunchaquoy, Hundland Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NR
Received 1 May 2014 - Decided14/188/APN
Extend agricultural building to provide cattle housing
Twatt Farm, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LN
Received 6 May 2014 - Decided14/189/PP
Repaint shop front, doors and windows, infill openings and install an air source heat pump
57 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 6 May 2014 - Decided14/190/LB
Demolish internal wall, display signage, repaint shop front, doors and windows, infill openings and install an air source heat pump
57 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 6 May 2014 - Decided14/191/PP
Change of use from domestic car parking to overflow car parking for Marness Garage (retrospective)
Stoorie, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SF
Received 6 May 2014 - Decided14/192/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Mullach Mor, Westshore, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 6 May 2014 - Decided14/194/PP
Demolish existing porch and extend a house
36 Clay Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QQ
Received 8 May 2014 - Decided14/195/PP
Extend a house for a disabled person
Peedie Orquil, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SA
Received 9 May 2014 - Decided14/196/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Kia-Ora, Vetquoy Road, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HT
Received 12 May 2014 - Unknown14/197/TPP
Erect a 500kW wind turbine (max height 46.6m), erect an anemometer mast (max height 10m ), erect a substation and create an access track
Lingro (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 13 May 2014 - Decided14/198/APN
Extend an agricultural shed
Summerfield (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 9 May 2014 - Decided14/199/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle 11/179/PIP)
Lighthouse (Land Near), Burness Road, Firth, Orkney
Received 14 May 2014 - Decided14/200/PP
Demolish existing workshop and erect a replacement workshop (retrospective)
Ravenscraig (Land Near), Church Road, St Margarets Hope, Orkney
Received 15 May 2014 - Decided14/201/PP
Erect a replacement house with integral double garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Crookhutcheon, Bigswell Road, Stenness, Orkney
Received 15 May 2014 - Decided14/202/MAR
Install 12 x 100m circumference cages with feed barge (to replace existing fish farm cages at Noust Geo (Backaland) and at Kirk Taing)
Eday Sound, Eday, Orkney
Received 15 May 2014 - Decided14/203/PP
Erect communications mast (max height 19m)
Ward Hill (Land Near), Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 19 May 2014 - Decided14/204/PP
Install a dormer window
Thorsdell, 3 Annfield Park, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FR
Received 19 May 2014 - Decided14/205/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Ardblair, Quoyloo, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3LX
Received 20 May 2014 - Decided14/206/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Quoyostry (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 21 May 2014 - Decided14/207/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Smiddy Museum, Cromarty Square, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 20 May 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