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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/260/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Fernside (Land Near), Everbay Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AG
Received 18 May 2015 - Decided15/261/PP
Change of use of land from pasture to domestic and extend a house
Grindally, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RD
Received 18 May 2015 - Decided15/262/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Sunnyside (Land Near), Cleat Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AJ
Received 18 May 2015 - Unknown15/263/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Eastbigging (Land Near), Roundadee Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LP
Received 18 May 2015 - Decided15/264/TC
Crown reduction of semi-mature tree and fell a tree
22 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 19 May 2015 - Decided15/265/AMC
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (Following Permission in Principle - 14/111/PIP)
Sultigeo (Land Near), Ireland Road, Stenness, Stromness, Orkney
Received 20 May 2015 - Decided15/266/APN
Extend an agricultural building
Easthouse, Toab, Orkney
Received 20 May 2015 - Decided15/267/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 14.8m)
Craigiefield (Land Near), Stonehall Road, Deerness, Orkney KW17 2QQ
Received 21 May 2015 - Unknown15/268/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Heatherlea (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 22 May 2015 - Unknown15/269/TPP
Erect 2 x 6kW wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
East Denwick (Land Near), Denwick Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 22 May 2015 - Decided15/270/APN
Erect a GP shed
Ossquoy, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 22 May 2015 - Decided15/271/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle - 14/130/PIP)
Summerfield (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 25 May 2015 - Decided15/272/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
29 Laverock Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EE
Received 25 May 2015 - Decided15/273/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Heatherhill (Land Near) Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 26 May 2015 - Decided15/274/APN
Erect a GP shed
Garth, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QQ
Received 27 May 2015 - Decided15/275/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Elvadal, 18 Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1NG
Received 27 May 2015 - Decided15/276/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Langwell (Land Near), Scorradale Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RF
Received 27 May 2015 - Decided15/277/PP
Extend a house
4 Burnside, Flotta, Orkney, KW16 3NP
Received 28 May 2015 - Decided15/278/PP
Re-roof and extend a house
Springfields, Berstane Lodge Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 28 May 2015 - Decided15/279/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Lower Barswick (Land Near), Barswick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 28 May 2015 - Decided15/280/TC
Fell 5 trees and pruning work to semi mature trees
Howglen, 2 Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NE
Received 28 May 2015 - Decided15/281/TC
Fell 3 tree and pruning work to others
12 Victoria Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DZ
Received 28 May 2015 - Decided15/282/PP
Reinstate and extend a house, install replacement roof covering, windows and doors, and an air source heat pump, and change of use of a barn from agriculture to restaurant, re-roof, erect two extensions and form an opening, and associated landscaping and car parking
Burwick Farm, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 29 May 2015 - Decided15/283/LB
Alter farmhouse, including replacement roof covering, timber widows and door, harl walls, erect timber-clad extension and internal alterations, and alterations to barn including re-roofing, erect two timber clad extensions, and form an opening
Burwick Farmhouse, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 29 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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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