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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Withdrawn/Returned24/381/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit
43A Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 26 Sept 2024 - Decided24/382/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (one for one)
Millhouse (Land Near), Netherhouse Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LA
Received 30 Sept 2024 - Withdrawn/Returned24/384/PP
Create (relocate) an access (to serve approved development)
Errival (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SX
Received 1 Oct 2024 - Decided24/386/AD
Display a fascia sign
3 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LB
Received 1 Oct 2024 - Decided24/387/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a domestic shed
Culdigeo (Land Near), Aikerness Road, Westray, Orkney
Received 2 Oct 2024 - Decided24/388/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (resubmission of 24/354/HH)
13 Links, Sandy Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DH
Received 3 Oct 2024 - Decided24/389/HH
Extend a house
Milestone, 2 Moar Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1FS
Received 4 Oct 2024 - Withdrawn/Returned24/390/PP
Erect three self-catering units (retrospective)
Frasers Close Apartments, 8 Frasers Close, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DT
Received 4 Oct 2024 - Decided24/391/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
Apartment 2, 66 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 4 Oct 2024 - Decided24/392/PP
Change of use from a flat to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
Apartment 1, 66 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 4 Oct 2024 - Decided24/394/PP
Change of use of agricultural land to domestic, create (relocate) an access, and install balustrades (retrospective)
Roshaven, Evie, Orkney KW17 2NJ
Received 7 Oct 2024 - Decided24/396/PP
Change of use of a domestic outbuilding to wine production and alcohol storage
Brae Villa, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2NZ
Received 7 Oct 2024 - Decided24/397/PN
Instal four 'H' terminal poles
Cumminess House (Land Near), Stenness, Orkney
Received 7 Oct 2024 - Decided24/398/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and convert a redundant building to a house (two for one)
Soligeo (Land Near), Geo Road, Deerness, Orkney,
Received 9 Oct 2024 - Decided24/399/PP
Install external wall insulation and sheet metal roofing
Stromness Academy, Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3JS
Received 9 Oct 2024 - Decided24/400/LB
Install a replacement window
8 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BY
Received 9 Oct 2024 - Decided24/401/PP
Change of use from a domestic annex to a self-catering unit (retrospective)
Anchor View, Hatston Brae, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RD
Received 8 Oct 2024 - Decided24/402/PP
Erect an agricultural shed (retrospective)
Appietown, Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2PB
Received 10 Oct 2024 - Decided24/403/PP
Erect two retaining walls
Highland Fuels Scapa Depot, New Scapa Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SD
Received 10 Oct 2024 - Decided24/404/PP
Erect a house (one for one) with an intergral garage, and an air source heat pump and create an access
Muckle Pow (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 15 Oct 2024 - Decided24/405/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and create an access
Swanson Cottage (Land Near), Swanson Road, Westray, Orkney KW17 2DB
Received 11 Oct 2024 - Decided24/406/PP
Change of use from two flats to two self-catering units
9 Mounthoolie Place, (Flat 1 & 2), Mounthoolie Lane, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1WZ
Received 16 Oct 2024 - Decided24/407/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to create a temporary construction compound
Construction Compound, Near Sheshmire Stenness, Orkney
Received 10 Oct 2024 - Decided24/409/SCR
Screening opinion request to create a salmon farming site (replacement of existing equipment)
Vestness, Papa Westray, Orkney
Received 18 Oct 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