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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided25/071/PN
Install two wooden poles (10 metres)
Sunardee, Viewfield, Milldam (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 28 Feb 2025 - Awaiting decision25/073/PP
Create an access, and construct an access track, hardstanding and parking (to serve existing business/workshop)
East Cottage, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RA
Received 4 Mar 2025 - Decided25/074/PP
Change of use from a church (Class 10) to a shop, cafe and public hall (community hub) (Classes 1A, 3 and 10)
Evie Church, Evie Village, Evie, Orkney KW17 2PH
Received 4 Mar 2025 - Decided25/075/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and extend a house
Clairness, Lyking Road, Sandwick, Orkney KW16 3HY
Received 5 Mar 2025 - Awaiting decision25/079/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (maximum height 100 metres, maximum capacity 2 MW) and a switchgear building, construct access tracks and parking, and associated infrastructure including underground cabling
Ward Hill, Orphir, Orkney
Received 5 Mar 2025 - Decided25/080/PP
Install exterior lighting
8 Laing Street Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1NW
Received 5 Mar 2025 - Decided25/081/PP
Extend a storage shed (Class 6)
Orkney Builders, Crowness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1RG
Received 5 Mar 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/082/VR
Vary condition 05 of planning permission 08/252/PPF to extend the duration of operation from 20 to 25 years from the date of decision
Shapinsay Community Turbine, Howe, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 6 Mar 2025 - Decided25/083/PP
Convert a former shop, bakery and store to a mixed use nightclub, bar, bowling alley and other indoor recreation (Use Class 11), and ancillary storage, install five air source heat pumps, extend to create covered fire exit and storage (shed), install glazed screens, doors, and panelled cladding in courtyard openings, re-roof part of roof, install roof ducts and solar panels, convert part of courtyard to event space/garden and seating, erect four hot food takeaway kiosks, a temporary stretch tent, and gates including on street boundary, and associated landscaping including a sheet pile wall, resurfacing with flagstones, and planting including trees and shrubs (temporary for 10 years) (part amendment to 23/422/PP) (part retrospective)
18 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 6 Mar 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/084/VR
Vary condition 04 of planning permission 08/253/PPF to extend the duration of operation from 20 to 25 years from the date of decision
Rousay Community Turbine Kingarly (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 7 Mar 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/085/VR
Vary condition 05 of planning permission 08/250/PPF to extend the duration of operation from 20 to 25 years from the date of decision
Rothiesholm Head Turbine (Community Turbine), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 7 Mar 2025 - Decided25/086/PP
Proposed change of use from office accommodation to a boarding house (Class 7)
Garden House, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BL
Received 7 Mar 2025 - Decided25/087/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a garage
Rivendale, Smoogro Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 10 Mar 2025 - Unknown25/088/MARPN
Replace a feed barge
Puldrite Bay, Wide Firth, Orkney
Received 4 Mar 2025 - Decided25/089/PP
Install surface and foul drainage infrastructure (amendment to part of 18/135/PP and 21/349/PP)
Errival (Land Near) St Ola, Orkney
Received 11 Mar 2025 - Decided25/090/HH
Extend a house
Citadel Cottage Citadel Road Stromness Orkney Islands KW16 3JR
Received 12 Mar 2025 - Unknown25/091/APN
Erect a GP shed
Galeed (Land Near), Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3EZ
Received 12 Mar 2025 - Decided25/093/PP
Erect a self-catering unit (retrospective)
Kevara Self Catering, Maitland Place, Finstown, Orkney
Received 14 Mar 2025 - Decided25/094/PP
Erect a self-catering unit (retrospective)
Morvin (Land Near), Maitland Place, Finstown, Firth, Orkney,
Received 14 Mar 2025 - Unknown21/304/NMV/01
Amend door location and gable design
Waascott, Stenness, Orkney KW16 3HA
Received 11 Mar 2025 - Decided25/096/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Seahaven (Land Near), Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 17 Mar 2025 - Decided25/097/HH
Extend a house and alter a shed
Orcadia, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1NJ
Received 17 Mar 2025 - Decided25/098/PP
Paint a mural
18 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HR
Received 18 Mar 2025 - Decided25/099/AMC
Convert a redundant building to a house and install and air source heat pump (following planning permission in principle 23/462/PIP)
Shaird (Land Near), Hools Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2RJ
Received 18 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
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