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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Unknown24/269/PN
Install two wooden poles (9 metres)
5-6 And 11-12 Helliar View Shapinsay Orkney Islands KW17 2ED
Received 27 Jun 2024 - Unknown24/270/PN
Install three antennas, nine ERs, four dishes, GPS, and associated works
Base Station, Crowness Crescent/Sparrowhawk Road, Hatston Kirkwall KW15 1GF
Received 3 Jul 2024 - Decided24/271/HH
Extend a house
The Windlings, Corston Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LQ
Received 3 Jul 2024 - Withdrawn/Returned24/273/AMC
Create an access (to serve approved development)
At Errival, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SX
Received 8 Jul 2024 - Decided24/274/PP
Change of use of part of former care home (garage) to a hot food takeaway with parking (retrospective)
St Peters House Back Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3DX
Received 9 Jul 2024 - Decided24/275/PP
Install a silt curtain
Boardhouse Water Treatment Works, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LZ
Received 9 Jul 2024 - Decided24/276/PP
Convert church centre and manse to the three flats, and install three air source heat pumps
The Manse, Rousay, Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 9 Jul 2024 - Decided24/277/HH
Extend a house, install replacement windows and an air source heat pump
Wellpark, Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1NE
Received 10 Jul 2024 - Unknown24/278/APN
Construct an access
Hneta Hus (Land Near) Rousay Orkney KW17 2PU
Received 11 Jul 2024 - Decided24/279/WL
Operate a renewable technology deployment and test site (no permanent construction)
Scapa Flow Test Site, Orkney
Received 11 Jul 2024 - Decided24/280/CLEUD
Regularise the use of a premises as a self-catering unit
The Hoos, 2 Ayre Houses, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1QX
Received 12 Jul 2024 - Decided24/283/PIP
Siting of a house (reinstatement) and create an access
Quina, Stenness, Orkney
Received 15 Jul 2024 - Unknown22/027/NMV/02
Vary roof design and windows
Castle Howe, Sower Road, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RE
Received 11 Jul 2024 - Decided24/284/PP
Convert former care home to a hostel (Class 7) and a house, external alterations including demolitions, and associated landscaping and infrastructure works including car parking (amendment to 22/124/PP)
Former St. Peter's Care Home, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3DE
Received 17 Jul 2024 - Decided24/286/PP
Change of use from two flats to two self-catering units (retrospective)
Tower Building Apartments, Tower Building, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 16 Jul 2024 - Decided24/287/PP
Install an art structure
North Church, Brecks Road, Shapinsay, Orkney KW17 2EA
Received 19 Jul 2024 - Decided24/288/AD
Display two fascia signs
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LB
Received 19 Jul 2024 - Decided24/289/CLEUD
Regularise the use of an annex as a house
Bracegarth Cottage, North Loch Road, Sanday, Orkney I KW17 2BP
Received 22 Jul 2024 - Decided24/291/PP
Install a 25 metre lattice telecommunications tower, with six antennas, six remote radio units, and cabinets and ancillary equipment
Wideford Hill, Off Old Finstown Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 23 Jul 2024 - Unknown20/098/NMV/01
Amend window designs, add and omit windows, amend rooflight design, add rooflight, amend sheeting and extract fan
42 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1AG
Received 12 Jul 2024 - Decided24/293/HH
Extend a house
Oregon, Maitland Place, Finstown, Firth, Orkney KW17 2EQ
Received 25 Jul 2024 - Awaiting decision24/294/MAR
Create salmon farming site comprising of 16 x 100 metre circumference circular cages, with pole mounted top nets, underwater lighting, and 300 tonne capacity automated feed barge (replacement of existing equipment)
Meil Bay, Bay Of Meil, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 25 Jul 2024 - Decided24/295/HH
Extend a house
Upper Quoys, Evie, Orkney KW17 2PE
Received 29 Jul 2024 - Unknown24/296/PN
Install one wooden pole (9 meters)
Linkhouse Road, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LX
Received 29 Jul 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
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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