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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/327/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (amendment to approval of 13/473/PP)
10 Broadsands Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BP
Received 5 Aug 2014 - Decided14/328/PP
Demolish existing building, erect 4 flats, install 4 air source heat pumps and create parking area
43 Junction Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AR
Received 6 Aug 2014 - Decided14/329/PP
Demolish buildings within steading and erect a replacement house (part retrospective)
Bankburn, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TG
Received 7 Aug 2014 - Decided14/330/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Telephone Exchange (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 11 Aug 2014 - Decided14/331/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Grain Farm House, 3 Wellington Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 11 Aug 2014 - Decided14/332/LB
Install an air source heat pump and replace windows
Grain Farm House, 3 Wellington Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 11 Aug 2014 - Decided14/333/PP
Erect a shed, fence and plant (including for occasional incineration) and use of land as a storage area (retrospective)
Treatment Works (Land Near), Work Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 11 Aug 2014 - Decided14/334/PP
Erect a general purpose shed
Hunton Farm, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AE
Received 12 Aug 2014 - Decided14/335/PP
Install a 90cm diameter antenna on building
2 Warness Park, Hatston Pier Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 13 Aug 2014 - Decided14/336/PP
Change of use of redundant agricultural buildings to domestic to extend existing house
Swartland, Swartland Road, Sandwick Orkney, KW17 2JQ
Received 15 Aug 2014 - Decided14/337/APN
Erect a GP shed
Heads, Lowertown Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TL
Received 18 Aug 2014 - Decided14/338/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
26 Grainepark, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UL
Received 18 Aug 2014 - Decided14/339/APN
Demolish existing GP shed and erect a replacement GP shed
Russamyre, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 18 Aug 2014 - Decided14/340/WL
Refurbish, strengthen and extend existing jetty
Houton Jetty, Houton, Orphir, Orkney
Received 4 Aug 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/341/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Ellisland (Land Near), Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AJ
Received 19 Aug 2014 - Decided14/342/PP
Install 2 telecommunications boxes
Stromness Telephone Exchange, Back Road, Stromness, KW16 3AJ
Received 19 Aug 2014 - Decided14/343/PP
Extend a house
Carinya, 22 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DZ
Received 19 Aug 2014 - Decided14/344/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Orphir Telephone Exchange (Land Near), Junction Of Gyre Road & Kingfisher Road, Orphir, KW17 2AD, Orkney
Received 20 Aug 2014 - Decided14/345/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Burray Telephone Exchange (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 20 Aug 2014 - Decided14/346/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Playing Fields (Land Near), Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 21 Aug 2014 - Decided14/347/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install air source heat pump and create an access
1 Burnett Brae (Plot 1) (Land Near), Watersfield, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Aug 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/348/PP
Extend a house
Wurrus, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 22 Aug 2014 - Withdrawn/Returned14/349/PP
Create 5 serviced house sites and an access road; raise land; and widen public road
Castlehame (Land Near; And Rear Of Four Seasons, Muckleview And Innischonnel), Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UE
Received 22 Aug 2014 - Decided14/350/PP
Erect a 10m high x 0.5m wide lattice mast
Sandyhill Radar Station (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 25 Aug 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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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