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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided25/043/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect three wind turbines (maximum height 14.75m)
Harcusquoy, Eday Orkney
Received 12 Feb 2025 - Decided25/044/PP
Change of use of part of car park to outside seating area
Pomona Inn, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EL
Received 14 Feb 2025 - Decided25/045/PP
Reinstate harled bellcote, remove render, harl walls, and install ground-mounted PV array and associated infrastructure
St Nicholas Kirk, Cornquoy Road, Holm, Orkney
Received 19 Feb 2025 - Decided25/046/LB
Reinstate harled bellcote, remove render, and harl walls
St Nicholas Kirk, Holm
Received 19 Feb 2025 - Decided25/047/PP
Erect an airfield terminal building, extend car parking, and associated infrastructure
Westray Airfield And Building, Aikerness Road, Westray, Orkney
Received 19 Feb 2025 - Decided25/048/PP
Install two benches
Waulkmill Bay, RSPB Hobbister Reserve, Orphir, Orkney
Received 20 Feb 2025 - Decided25/050/PP
Erect an airfield terminal building, create an access, and construct car parking, bike shelter and associated infrastructure
Stronsay Airfield, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 20 Feb 2025 - Decided25/051/HH
Extend a house
Ascari, 5 Sutherland Drive, St Marys, Holm, Orkney KW17 2SG
Received 20 Feb 2025 - Decided25/052/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access (Plot 1)
Brae Villa (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 21 Feb 2025 - Decided25/053/PIP
Siting of a house (Plot 2)
Brae Villa (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 21 Feb 2025 - Decided25/054/PP
Construct a temporary construction compound, including hardstanding and temporary buildings
Balfour Cottage (Land Near), Sandyhill Road, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 21 Feb 2025 - Decided25/055/LB
Install exterior lighting
8 Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1NW
Received 24 Feb 2025 - Decided25/056/EB
Simplified notification to install a three-span spur 33kv overhead line
Finstown, Orkney
Received 18 Feb 2025 - Decided25/057/HH
Extend a house
Damsay, Grimbust Road, Westray, Orkney KW17 2DE
Received 24 Feb 2025 - Decided25/058/SCO
Scoping opinion request to create a fish farming site (relocate and configure existing equipment)
East Of Skelwick Skerry, Westray, Orkney
Received 21 Feb 2025 - Decided25/059/PP
Erect a polycarbonate polytunnel
UHI Orkney, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LX
Received 21 Feb 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/060/PP
Reinstate a house, remove chimney stack, re-roof, alter openings, install replacement windows and doors, replacement gates, rooflights, bin store, platform, flood barrier and air source heat pump
32 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 26 Feb 2025 - Decided25/061/LB
Re-roof, including breather membrane and lead flashing
Skaill House, Sandwick, Orkney KW16 3LR
Received 26 Feb 2025 - Decided25/065/HH
Extend a house
Elhamcha, Kingfisher Road, Orphir Village, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RB
Received 28 Feb 2025 - Decided25/066/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump and upgrade an access (resubmission of part of 24/321/PP)
Braeside (Land Near), Woodwick Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2HD
Received 28 Feb 2025 - Decided25/067/PP
Install play park equipment (Phase 2)
Papdale East Park, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 3 Mar 2025 - Decided25/068/PP
Erect four houses, construct an access road, create eight serviced sites and install communal drainage and associated infrastructure
Saxavord (Land Near), Orphir Village, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RB
Received 3 Mar 2025 - Decided25/069/PP
Install new and replacement play equipment, surfacing and fence and erect a polycarbonate polytunnel
Stenness Primary School, Ireland Road, Stenness Village, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LB
Received 3 Mar 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/070/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump
30 Coplands Drive (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BN
Received 3 Mar 2025
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
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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.
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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