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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided14/425/PP
Erect a shed (amend location of recently constructed shed)
14 Hamnavoe, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JQ
Received 21 Oct 2014 - Decided14/426/PP
Change of use from office to taxi booking office (retrospective)
39 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG
Received 21 Oct 2014 - Decided14/427/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Kirkwall Telephone Exchange, Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 21 Oct 2014 - Decided14/428/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
1 Peerie Sea Loan, (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UH
Received 27 Oct 2014 - Decided14/429/APN
Roof an existing silo
Cleatonbrae, Cleat Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 28 Oct 2014 - Decided14/434/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission - 11/263/VR)
Loretto (Plot 2) (Land Near), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 30 Oct 2014 - Decided14/430/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Deerness Community Centre (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 29 Oct 2014 - Decided14/431/PN
Erect a substation
Former West Mainland Auction Mart Site, Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 28 Oct 2014 - Decided14/432/APN
Erect a GP Shed
Rosebank, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 30 Oct 2014 - Decided14/433/PP
Demolish existing and erect a replacement sun porch
East Moss, Moss Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 30 Oct 2014 - Decided14/435/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Cairston Road/Garson Loan Junction (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JT
Received 30 Oct 2014 - Decided14/436/APN
Erect a GP shed
Crumbrecks, Petertown Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 30 Oct 2014 - Decided14/437/PP
Extend and alter a house
Briarlea, 10 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 31 Oct 2014 - Decided14/438/LB
Physical alterations to facilitate change of use to visitor centre and caf�: remove pew; relocate pew in raised alter; reinstate aisle floor tiles; reinstate stained glass window; enlarge two window openings to form doorways; install staircase and mezzanine floor; erect lean-to extension with sheet metal roof and glazed walls; and paint exterior walls and door
Former St Andrews Kirk, Tankerness, Orkney
Received 31 Oct 2014 - Decided14/439/PP
Fell a tree and erect a shed
The Shore, 6 - 8 Shore Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LG
Received 3 Nov 2014 - Decided14/440/PP
Extend a restaurant and alterations to car park
Foveran Hotel, Scapa Brae, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SF
Received 3 Nov 2014 - Decided14/441/PP
Import soil for agricultural benefit (part retrospective)
Greenfield (Land Near), Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 3 Nov 2014 - Decided14/442/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
6 Robertson Loan (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GQ
Received 5 Nov 2014 - Decided14/443/LB
Demolish section of boundary wall and greenhouse, block existing gateway and erect section of wall using reclaimed stone
Walled Garden (ex Glaitness House), Soulisquoy Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BA
Received 5 Nov 2014 - Decided14/444/PP
Erect 2 semi-detached houses with air source heat pumps and create access
Walled Garden (ex Glaitness House), Soulisquoy Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BA
Received 6 Nov 2014 - Decided14/445/EB
Install 6 poles, associated wiring and stays
Nearhouse (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney KW17 2NZ
Received 3 Nov 2014 - Decided14/446/PP
Install two rooflights
14 Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PA
Received 7 Nov 2014 - Decided14/447/TC
Prune overhanging branches and crown reduction of two sycamores
Commercial Union House, Castle Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DF
Received 7 Nov 2014 - Decided14/448/PP
Remove single glazed timber windows and install double glazed uPVC windows (retrospective)
Millhouse, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 11 Nov 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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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