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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/065/PP
Change of use from quarry to industrial use
Loth Quarry (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 10 Feb 2015 - Decided15/066/PP
Replace uPVC rainwater goods with cast iron rainwater goods
75 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DQ
Received 10 Feb 2015 - Decided15/067/EB
Install a 7.5m high voltage pole
Helenlea (Land Near), School Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TN,
Received 10 Feb 2015 - Decided15/068/PP
Amend siting of approved house and boundary of curtilage (retrospective) and extend
Grunkeys, Rerwick Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 11 Feb 2015 - Decided15/069/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 14.8m)
Heads (Land Near), Windwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 11 Feb 2015 - Decided15/070/PP
Change of use from office to two flats, install two air source heat pumps and replace timber windows with timber and aluminium-clad windows
Office, Tower Building, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JY
Received 12 Feb 2015 - Decided15/072/PP
Erect a wave tank shed
Innovation Centre (Land Near), Hatston Pier Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1ZL
Received 13 Feb 2015 - Decided15/073/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Innovation Centre (Land Near), Hatston Pier Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1ZL
Received 16 Feb 2015 - Decided15/074/PN
Install a telecommunications box
30 Kiln Corner (Land Near), Burnmouth Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NU
Received 17 Feb 2015 - Decided15/075/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Wilmhaven (Land Near), Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LE
Received 18 Mar 2015 - Decided15/076/EB
Relocate poles and install additional poles for existing power line
Pool/Cara (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 18 Feb 2015 - Decided15/077/APN
Erect a GP shed
Staye, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 23 Feb 2015 - Decided15/078/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Heathfield Cottage, Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TR
Received 23 Feb 2015 - Decided15/079/PIP
Siting of a house (subdivision of domestic curtilage) and create an access
Kransa, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SB
Received 23 Feb 2015 - Decided15/080/PP
Extend a house
Gairth, Corston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LQ
Received 23 Feb 2015 - Decided15/081/PP
Extend a house utilising existing non-domestic extension, install dormer windows, install an air source heat pump and erect a boundary
Sydney Cottage, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TU
Received 23 Feb 2015 - Decided15/082/AD
Display two non-illuminated aluminium tray fascia signs
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 24 Feb 2015 - Decided15/083/AD
Display a non-illuminated fascia sign
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 24 Feb 2015 - Decided15/084/PIP
Siting of a house
Whitecleat (Plot 2) (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 24 Feb 2015 - Decided15/085/PP
Erect a house, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Braehead (Land Near), Eday, Orkney
Received 25 Feb 2015 - Decided15/086/PP
Install an air source heat pump
15 Royal Oak Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RF
Received 25 Feb 2015 - Decided15/087/PP
Erect a terminal building incorporating a fire garage
Airfield (Land Near), North Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 25 Feb 2015 - Decided15/088/PP
Erect a garage
Kaligar, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 25 Feb 2015 - Decided15/089/PP
Demolish existing house, erect a replacement house with air source heat pump and create an access
Sunnybrae (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 26 Feb 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