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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided24/298/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (maximum height 64 metres) (repowering of existing site)
Newark (Land Near), Skelwick, Westray, Orkney
Received 30 Jul 2024 - Decided24/299/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (height not exceeding 18m) (repowering of existing site)
Harbour Authority Building (Land Near), Scapa, St Ola, Orkney
Received 31 Jul 2024 - Decided24/300/PP
Install a stone bench
New Kirk (Land Near), North Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 31 Jul 2024 - Decided24/302/PP
Install replacement doors and windows
77-79 John Street, Stromness, KW16 3AD
Received 1 Aug 2024 - Decided24/303/PP
Erect a general purpose building (Class 4 and 6)
Castlehill, Stronsay, Orkney,
Received 2 Aug 2024 - Decided24/304/PP
Extend a boat yard and erect a boat shed
Stromness Golf Club, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DW
Received 2 Aug 2024 - Decided24/305/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage and outbuilding, install a solar array, and create an access
Whitelett, (Land Near), Ness Road, Westray,
Received 5 Aug 2024 - Decided24/306/PP
Erect a self-catering pod with associated landscaping and parking
Braehead, Ontoft Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TL
Received 5 Aug 2024 - Decided24/307/PP
Erect a storage and office building (including meat larder), install an EV charger, and install a foul drainage system and other infrastructure (part amendment to 22/462/PP)
Trebb, Trebb Road, North Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2BE
Received 6 Aug 2024 - Decided24/308/MARPN
Install pole mounted top nets to replace hamster wheel nets and amend mesh size
Bay Of Vady, Rousay Sound, Rousay
Received 7 Aug 2024 - Unknown23/145/NMV/01
Change of material finish to extension
Upper Springrose Heddle Road Firth Orkney Islands KW17 2JX
Received 7 Aug 2024 - Decided24/309/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Grace Church, 34 John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD
Received 7 Aug 2024 - Decided24/310/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and air source heat pump
Pow (Land Near), Pow Road, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 8 Aug 2024 - Decided24/311/PP
Install a temporary portable container/site office (retrospective)
Castles, Eday, Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 9 Aug 2024 - Decided24/313/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Taingholm (Land Near), Aikerskaill Road, Deerness, Orkney
Received 12 Aug 2024 - Decided24/314/HH
Erect a domestic garage
Stennageo, Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney KW16 3LB
Received 13 Aug 2024 - Decided24/316/HH
Erect a domestic garage/outbuilding
16 Broadsands Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BP
Received 14 Aug 2024 - Decided24/317/PP
Erect a self-catering pod (retrospective)
Easthouse, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JE
Received 15 Aug 2024 - Decided24/319/PP
Install three storage containers (temporary for 10 years)
Stromness Academy, Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Aug 2024 - Unknown24/320/APN
Erect a GP shed
Burness, West Bu Road, Holm, Orkney
Received 19 Aug 2024 - Withdrawn/Returned24/321/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump and upgrade an access
Braeside (Land Near), Woodwick Road, Woodwick Road Orkney KW17 2HD
Received 19 Aug 2024 - Awaiting decision24/323/MAR
Create an oyster farm comprising 450 baskets in 0.75 hectare site
Eynhallow Sound, Rousay, Orkney
Received 7 Aug 2024 - Decided24/324/LB
Install a cable duct and create cable entry point
62 - 64 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 19 Aug 2024 - Decided24/325/PP
Change of use of land to domestic, extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Kellyan, The Palace, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LX
Received 22 Aug 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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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