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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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: 14 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/211/SCO
Scoping opinion request to erect 6 x wind turbines (max height 125m)
Costa Head (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2015 - Decided15/212/SCO
Scoping opinion request to erect 6 x wind turbines (max height 125m)
Halcro Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2015 - Decided15/213/SCO
Scoping opinion request to erect 6 x wind turbines (max height 125m)
Hesta Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2015 - Decided15/214/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Quoyhossiter (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TG
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/215/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Lurdane (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/216/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Canada (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JD
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/217/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
East Quoys (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/218/PP
Extend existing studio to provide accommodation
Upper Housegarth, Housegarth Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LY
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/219/PP
Erect an agricultural building
Dalespot (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 22 Apr 2015 - Decided15/220/PP
Extend building to create entrance porch
Co-operative, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 23 Apr 2015 - Decided15/221/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Roadside (Land Near), Howar Road, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 23 Apr 2015 - Decided15/222/PP
Demolish existing conservatory and extend a house
West Lynn, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RT
Received 24 Apr 2015 - Decided15/223/PP
Extend a house
Knowe, Oyce Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AZ
Received 24 Apr 2015 - Decided15/224/PP
Extend a house and replace roof covering
Gowan Braes, Burray Village, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 24 Apr 2015 - Decided15/225/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Deerness Community Centre (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 27 Apr 2015 - Withdrawn/Returned15/226/PP
Demolish existing redundant building, erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Lower Linklater (Land Near), Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JG
Received 28 Apr 2015 - Decided15/227/PP
Erect a shed (retrospective)
Aith View, Brims Road, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NZ
Received 30 Apr 2015 - Decided15/228/PP
Erect a house for a farm worker with an integral garage and air source heat pump and create an access
Eastaquoy (Land Near), Lyde Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LA
Received 30 Apr 2015 - Decided15/229/PP
Install a replacement door and display a sign
54 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 1 May 2015 - Decided15/230/LB
Install a replacement door and display a sign
54 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 1 May 2015 - Decided15/231/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic, extend a house and erect a detached studio with air source heat pump
Conyar, Russland Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LF
Received 1 May 2015 - Decided15/232/LB
Install replacement windows and doors, replace roof coverings, install stone skews, form pitched roof over rear wing and display fixed and projecting signage
64 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 1 May 2015 - Decided15/233/PP
Erect a health centre with air source heat pump and create a car park and access
Heatherlea Surgery (Land Near), Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 1 May 2015 - Decided15/234/PP
Alterations to existing garage
Roselea, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 5 May 2015
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