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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/284/APN
Erect a GP shed
Aikers, Yinstay Road, Tankerness, Orkney KW17 2QS
Received 29 May 2015 - Decided15/285/PP
Demolish existing house, erect a house with an air source heat pump, demolish ruinous buildings, convert barn to a house and extend, erect a garage and create an access
South Howar (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 1 Jun 2015 - Decided15/286/PP
Demolish existing redundant building, erect a house with air source heat pump and create an access
Holland (Land Near) Rerwick Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 2 Jun 2015 - Decided15/287/PP
Erect a replacement house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Limbo (Land Near), Honeysgeo Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 2 Jun 2015 - Decided15/288/PP
Reinstate doorway, paint walls and windows and install air source heat pump
51 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 3 Jun 2015 - Decided15/289/LB
Display signage, reinstate doorway, paint walls and windows and install air source heat pump
51 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 3 Jun 2015 - Decided15/290/PP
Erect a general purpose agricultural shed
Bu, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AN
Received 4 Jun 2015 - Decided15/291/PP
Alter and realign shop front
9 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 4 Jun 2015 - Decided15/292/VR
Vary condition 5 of planning permission 09/092/PPF to amend duration of consent from 20 years to 25 years from original date of consent
3 Innovation Centre Warness Park (Land Near), Hatston Pier Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1ZL
Received 5 Jun 2015 - Decided15/293/PP
Install 2 air source heat pumps (retrospective)
Karisgil, 43 Hamnavoe, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JQ
Received 5 Jun 2015 - Decided15/294/PP
Replace door and windows
14 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 8 Jun 2015 - Decided15/295/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump, erect a shed and create an access
West Links (Plot 6) (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 8 Jun 2015 - Decided15/296/APN
Erect a GP shed
Rannabrae, Rapness, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DE
Received 8 Jun 2015 - Decided15/297/PP
Erect a replacement agricultural building
Berriedale Farm, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TQ
Received 8 Jun 2015 - Decided15/298/PP
Erect a garage
Vinnaquoy, Greenfield, St Andrews, Orkney KW17 2QG
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/299/PP
Extend a house
Wurrus, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/300/PP
Erect a garage
Kaellan, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LU
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/301/PP
Erect a meteorological mast (max height 82.5m) for a period of 18 months
Costa Head (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/302/PP
Erect a meteorological mast (max height 82.5m) for a period of 18 months
Halcro Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/303/PP
Erect a meteorological mast (max height 82.5m) for a period of 3 years
Hesta Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Unknown15/304/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Trowietoon (Land Near), Geo Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QQ
Received 10 Jun 2015 - Decided15/305/LB
Replace guttering and rooflights and install lead flashing
34 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 12 Jun 2015 - Decided15/306/EB
Install a pole and reposition existing pole to the 11KV overhead line
Ankersted (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 11 Jun 2015 - Decided15/307/PP
Extend car parking area
Birsay Bay Tearoom, Linkshouse Road, The Palace, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LX
Received 12 Jun 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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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