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 dates11,981Searchable applications
138Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,078 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 16 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided24/112/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (resubmission of 23/234/PP)
Ruahine (Land Near), Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HR
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/113/HH
Erect a domestic garage with air source heat pump
Myrtle Cottage, Newark Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/114/AD
Display an illuminated screen and three flagpole signs (retrospective)
Tesco, 18 Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RP
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/115/PP
Erect a house with three air source heat pumps and an integral garage, associated landscaping and upgrade an access (resubmission of 23/176/PP)
Ferneybrae, Mill Bay Road, Eday, Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/116/PP
Change of use from agriculture to land for the display of art (stone works) (class 10) for charitable purposes, and create a lay-by (part retrospective)
Strathaven, Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/117/AD
Display signage
Orkney Enterprise, 12 - 14 Queen Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JE
Received 14 Mar 2024 - Decided24/118/LB
Display signage
Orkney Enterprise, 12 - 14 Queen Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JE
Received 14 Mar 2024 - Decided24/119/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
51 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3DA
Received 18 Mar 2024 - Decided24/120/PP
Temporary change of use of abattoir (Class 5) to offices and storage (Classes 4 and 6)
Abattoir, Grainshore Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1FL
Received 18 Mar 2024 - Decided24/121/TC
Fell a tree
Burnlea, 13 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 13 Mar 2024 - Decided24/122/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Springfields, Berstane Lodge Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SZ
Received 19 Mar 2024 - Decided24/123/PIP
Siting of a house and a detached garage for an agricultural worker, and create an access
Land South East Of Sharalee, Sandwick, Orkney Islands, KW16 3JB
Received 19 Mar 2024 - Decided24/124/HH
Erect a domestic shed
Iona, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2NB
Received 19 Mar 2024 - Decided24/125/PP
Erect a polycarbonate polytunnel for bicycle storage/hire
Eday Hostel, Eday, Orkney
Received 20 Mar 2024 - Decided24/126/PP
Change of use of land from storage and distribution to an outdoor entertainment space, including marquee, bar, hot food takeaway, large screen, and toilet block (temporary until July 2024)
Former Jewson Yard, Burnmouth Road, Kirkwall
Received 21 Mar 2024 - Decided24/127/PP
Install a bird hide
Gretchen Loch, North Ronaldsay Orkney
Received 21 Mar 2024 - Decided24/128/PP
Install a bird hide
Ancum Loch, North Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 22 Mar 2024 - Unknown24/130/APN
Erect a GP shed
Housebay, Holland Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AJ
Received 25 Mar 2024 - Decided24/131/PP
Construct a car park (coach parking) (retrospective)
Italian Chapel (Land Near), Lamb Holm, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SF
Received 25 Mar 2024 - Decided24/133/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
1 Castleyards, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TG
Received 26 Mar 2024 - Decided24/134/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
2 Castleyards, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TG
Received 26 Mar 2024 - Unknown24/135/APN
Erect a GP shed
Millburn Farm Lyde Road Harray Orkney Islands KW17 2LA
Received 26 Mar 2024 - Unknown24/136/PN
Install three antennas, nine remote radio heads, three cabinets, two GPs, and ancillary equipment
BT Compound (Land Near) St Catherines Bay Stronsay KW17 2AE
Received 26 Mar 2024 - Decided24/137/PP
Install a portable building and new shipping container (to replace existing structures) paint portable building, and erect a polycarbonate polytunnel (resubmission of 24/095/PP)
Orkney Zerowaste 2 Garson Place Stromness Orkney Islands KW16 3EE
Received 27 Mar 2024
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
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
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