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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/357/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Vinkwin, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 16 Jul 2015 - Decided15/358/PP
Erect 6 houses with air source heat pumps and create accesses
Linburn (Land Near), Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LB
Received 16 Jul 2015 - Decided15/359/PP
Re-roof existing sunroom with a pitched roof (retrospective)
The Sciennes, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BA
Received 17 Jul 2015 - Withdrawn/Returned15/360/PP
Convert and extend redundant non-domestic building to a dwelling with attached garage and install an air source heat pump
Westerbister (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 17 Jul 2015 - Decided15/361/PP
Change of use from domestic to a shop
3 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 20 Jul 2015 - Decided15/363/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Telephone Exchange (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 20 Jul 2015 - Decided15/364/VR
Vary condition 02 and 04 of planning permission 08/491/PPF to allow for 5 years for the whole development to become operational and amend duration of consent from 25 years from date of previous consent to 25 years from the commissioning of the second turbine
Gallowhill (Land Near), Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DP
Received 20 Jul 2015 - Decided15/365/PIP
Siting of a house for a farm worker and create an access
Vestrafiold (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LU
Received 21 Jul 2015 - Decided15/366/PP
Repaint shop front, windows and door
39 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 21 Jul 2015 - Decided15/367/PP
Convert retail/storage building to house and two flats and install 3 air source heat pumps
2-4 West Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AL
Received 21 Jul 2015 - Decided15/368/PP
Replace flat roof with pitched roof
Burray Community Hall, Burray, Orkney
Received 24 Jul 2015 - Decided15/369/APN
Erect a GP shed
Warth, Twatt, Orkney, KW17 2JQ
Received 24 Jul 2015 - Withdrawn/Returned15/370/PP
Install a telecommunications box
3 King Street (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 24 Jul 2015 - Decided15/371/VR
Vary condition 8 of planning permission 15/153/VR to extend the use of stone for Kirkwall and Stromness
Liddle's Quarry, Scorradale Road, Orphir, Orkney
Received 27 Jul 2015 - Decided15/372/TPN
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Runa, Loons Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NA
Received 27 Jul 2015 - Decided15/373/PP
Erect a house with detached garage, install air source heat pump and solar panels and create an access
Burnside (Plot 1) (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 27 Jul 2015 - Decided15/375/PP
Erect an agricultural building
Smithy, Balaclava Road, Flotta, Orkney, KW16 3NP
Received 28 Jul 2015 - Decided15/376/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Hawin (Land Near), Northside Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LU
Received 29 Jul 2015 - Decided15/377/PP
Erect an agricultural building
Brinkies House (Land Near), Brownstown Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JN
Received 30 Jul 2015 - Decided15/378/PP
Change of use from domestic to a carpentry workshop and extend a shed
Kerriday, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 30 Jul 2015 - Decided15/379/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Breckland (Land Near), Beaquoy Road, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 31 Jul 2015 - Decided15/380/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Breck, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LY
Received 3 Aug 2015 - Decided15/381/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Klahanie, Springfield Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XU
Received 3 Aug 2015 - Decided15/382/PP
Temporary siting of two storage containers
Old Academy Business Centre, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AW
Received 4 Aug 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