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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/279/PP
Re-lay telecomm cable and install an underground telephone joint box
Manse Bay (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/280/PN
Install a telecommunications box
8 Quoybanks Crescent (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EW
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/281/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Albert Hotel (Land Near), Mounthoolie Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HW
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/282/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Mistral (Land Near), Deerness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SW
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/283/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Laverock Cottage (Land Near), Union Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EA
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/284/PN
Install a telecommunications box
27 Thoms Street (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PN
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/285/PN
Install a telecommunications box
1 Stromberry (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UX
Received 11 Jul 2014 - Decided14/286/PP
Demolish existing porch, extend and re-roof a house
Lower Cara, South Ronaldsay, Grimness, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 14 Jul 2014 - Decided14/287/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle - 11/244/PIP)
Sandwick Community Centre (Plot 1) (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 15 Jul 2014 - Decided14/288/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle - 11/245/PIP)
Sandwick Community Centre (Plot 2) (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 15 Jul 2014 - Decided14/289/PP
Demolish existing porch and extend a house
Norton House, Northfield Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SY
Received 15 Jul 2014 - Decided14/290/PP
Erect a temporary mast (max height 18m)
Dalespot (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 15 Jul 2014 - Decided14/291/AMC
Erect a house, create an access and install an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 13/010/PIP - which requires prior demolition of three existing farm buildings)
Quoynamoan (Site 2) (Land Near), Upper Twatt Road, Stenness, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HH
Received 16 Jul 2014 - Decided14/292/PP
Install a telecommunications box
2 Strynd (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NX
Received 16 Jul 2014 - Decided14/293/PP
Install a telecommunications box
4 Mill Street (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NN
Received 16 Jul 2014 - Decided14/294/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Beaquoy (Land Near), Beaquoy Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 16 Jul 2014 - Decided14/295/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Blomuir (Plot 1) (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 17 Jul 2014 - Decided14/296/PIP
Demolish existing redundant building, siting of a house and create an access
Blomuir (Plot 2) (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 17 Jul 2014 - Decided14/297/TPP
Erect a house with solar panels, erect a shed, erect a 5kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m) and create an access
Lodge (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AN
Received 17 Jul 2014 - Decided14/298/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Nes Fjara (Land Near), Cromwell Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LH
Received 17 Jul 2014 - Decided14/299/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
8 Grimsetter Drive (Plot B) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 18 Jul 2014 - Decided14/300/PP
Repair dam by installing gabion baskets and a drainage pipe extension; and erect post and rail fence
Loch Of Boardhouse (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 18 Jul 2014 - Decided14/301/AD
Display a sign
Tait & Style, 11 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 21 Jul 2014 - Decided14/302/PP
Demolish existing garage and erect a double garage with annex accommodation
Avondale, Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 21 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
All planning guides
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Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
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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