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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/255/PP
Construct slipway (part retrospective)
Ivydene (Land Near), Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 20 Jun 2014 - Decided14/256/PP
Demolish porch and extend a house
15 Royal Oak Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RF
Received 20 Jun 2014 - Decided14/257/PP
Replace corrigatated/slab roof with clear polycarbonate
Sandquoy, North Loch Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 23 Jun 2014 - Decided14/258/PP
Erect a garage
Braeholland, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DZ
Received 23 Jun 2014 - Decided14/259/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Woo, Rapness, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DE
Received 24 Jun 2014 - Decided14/260/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and install an air source heat pump for an agricultural worker and create an access
Upperbigging (Land Near), Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 25 Jun 2014 - Decided14/261/PP
Replace existing roof and install an air source heat pump
Daisybank, Moss Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SA
Received 25 Jun 2014 - Decided14/262/PP
Extend a house
Scarvataing, Groatsetter Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 27 Jun 2014 - Decided14/263/LB
Remove bellcote (retrospective)
St Mary's Church, Burwick, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RW
Received 27 Jun 2014 - Decided14/264/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Quoys (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NJ
Received 30 Jun 2014 - Decided14/265/PP
Install an air source heat pump
8 Leaburn, Ness Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2TB
Received 30 Jun 2014 - Decided14/266/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and create an access
Upper Cottiscarth (Land Near), Cottiscarth Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 1 Jul 2014 - Decided14/267/PIP
Siting of a house
Anchorage (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 1 Jul 2014 - Decided14/268/LB
Temporarily removal of flues for repairs (retrospective)
Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Lyness, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 2 Jul 2014 - Decided14/269/PIPMAJ
Siting of houses and create an access
Walliwall (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 2 Jul 2014 - Decided14/270/PP
Demolish existing house, extend care home and create a parking area
St Rognvald House, Old Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BB
Received 3 Jul 2014 - Decided14/271/PP
Extend a house and erect an integral garage
Steadaquoy, Langskaill Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 4 Jul 2014 - Decided14/272/PP
Install a crazy golf facility, chute, swing and barbecue within a play park
Burray Play Park, Burray, Orkney
Received 7 Jul 2014 - Decided14/273/PIP
Siting of a replacement house, repair former house to provide domestic outbuilding and create an access
Quarrelbraes (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 7 Jul 2014 - Decided14/274/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Brookfield (Plot 5) (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2NZ
Received 8 Jul 2014 - Decided14/275/TPP
Erect a 20kW wind turbine (max height 22m)
Upper Scapa Farm (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 8 Jul 2014 - Decided14/276/PP
Extend a house
Dallness, Thoms Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PF
Received 9 Jul 2014 - Decided14/277/APN
Erect a GP shed
Pickletillum, Millhouse Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 9 Jul 2014 - Decided14/278/AMC
Erect a house, install an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle 11/016/PP)
School Road (Plot 1) (Land Near), St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Received 11 Jul 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