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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided15/513/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Nister Brekka, Brockan Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 9 Oct 2015 - Decided15/514/MAR
Install a 70 tonne feeding barge to service the existing site and increase the mooring containment area also install submerged maturation lighting to the cages
Carness Bay, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 8 Oct 2015 - Decided15/515/PP
Erect 2 flats with 2 air source heat pumps
29A Victoria Street (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 8 Oct 2015 - Decided15/516/PP
Erect custodian and storage buildings, fencing and associated landscaping
Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm, Holm, Orkney
Received 8 Oct 2015 - Decided15/517/APN
Erect a GP shed
Hatston Farm (Land Near), Hatston Park, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TZ
Received 9 Oct 2015 - Decided15/518/PP
Install a telecommunications box
Former Orkney Arts Theatre (Land Near), Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 9 Oct 2015 - Decided15/519/PP
Erect an electrical equipment building
Cauldale (Land Near), Eday, Orkney
Received 9 Oct 2015 - Decided15/520/PN
Install a telecommunications box
1 Lynn Crescent (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FF
Received 12 Oct 2015 - Decided15/521/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
19 Buttquoy Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JH
Received 13 Oct 2015 - Decided15/522/PP
Erect a replacement house and access
Lower Valley, Smoogro Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 14 Oct 2015 - Decided15/524/PP
Erect a pitched roof storage canopy
Co-operative, Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AE
Received 15 Oct 2015 - Decided15/526/PIP
Erect a house
11 Laverock Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EE
Received 16 Oct 2015 - Decided15/527/PP
Erect dwelling house with air source heat pump and associated works, repairs to existing outbuildings
Lower Linklater, Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Orkney KW17 2JG
Received 16 Oct 2015 - Decided15/528/PP
Erect a house with integral garage (subdivision of domestic curtilage) and install an air source heat pump
Chanonry (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 19 Oct 2015 - Decided15/529/PP
Erect a control kiosk
Logins Well, South End, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2015 - Decided15/530/PP
Erect a replacement house with a ground source heat pump and access
New Horries (Land Near), Horries Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 19 Oct 2015 - Decided15/531/PP
Install an air source heat pump
7 North End Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AG
Received 19 Oct 2015 - Decided15/532/PP
Install an air source heat pump
16 North End Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AG
Received 19 Oct 2015 - Decided15/533/PP
Replace slate roof with a turf roof
Echnaview, Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 22 Oct 2015 - Decided15/534/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (amendement to 15/427/PP)
32 Buttquoy Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JH
Received 23 Oct 2015 - Decided15/535/PP
Install a marine communication antennaes
Lighthouse, Lighthouse Road, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BG
Received 23 Oct 2015 - Decided15/536/PP
Convert a silage pit to a GP shed
Lower Cottiscarth, Cottisgarth Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 26 Oct 2015 - Decided15/537/PP
Construct a vehicle layby including sea wall and erect a kiosk
Well Park (Land Near), Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DN
Received 23 Oct 2015 - Withdrawn/Returned15/538/MARPN
Install maturation lighting
Bay Of Ham, Rousay Sound, Rousay, Orkney
Received 28 Oct 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