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 dates11,978Searchable applications
137Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,076 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 14 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/524/HH
Pick and point walls with lime mortar, paint rear chimney stack, re-paint doors and windows, and install replacement rooflights and rainwater goods
36 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BZ
Received 13 Dec 2017 - Decided17/525/LB
Pick and point walls with lime mortar, paint rear chimney stack, re-paint doors and windows and install replacement rooflights and rainwater goods
36 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BZ
Received 13 Dec 2017 - Decided17/526/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Towerhill (Land Near), Inganess Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SR
Received 15 Dec 2017 - Decided17/528/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (maximum height 17.8m)
Craiglands, Skidge Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 15 Dec 2017 - Decided17/529/HH
Install an air source heat pump
Hestigar, 7 St Rognvalds Way, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SQ
Received 15 Dec 2017 - Decided17/530/HH
Extend a house
Daystar, Halley Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 18 Dec 2017 - Decided17/532/APN
Erect a GP shed
Breck By South, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 18 Dec 2017 - Decided17/533/APN
Erect a GP shed
Quoylonga, Loons Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NA
Received 18 Dec 2017 - Decided17/534/PP
Demolish a house and erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Newhaven, Garson Loan, Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JT
Received 19 Dec 2017 - Decided17/535/TPO
Remove two trees after damage
Ferndale, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2EG
Received 19 Dec 2017 - Decided17/536/PN
Install a generator and fuel tank
Police Station Radio Wideford Hill Kirkwall KW15 1TS
Received 19 Dec 2017 - Decided17/537/TC
Fell a mature tree
Briarlea, 10 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 20 Dec 2017 - Decided17/538/PP
Extend a slatted byre
Cott, Gorseness Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 20 Dec 2017 - Decided17/539/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage and air source heat pump and create an access
Glen (Land Near), Rackwick, Hoy, Orkney
Received 20 Dec 2017 - Decided17/540/PP
Construct a pitched roof over a flat roof to create a flat, install three air source heat pumps, and prune a tree (part retrospective) (re-submission of 17/395/PP)
58 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 21 Dec 2017 - Decided18/001/HH
Erect an outbuilding
Tarland, Moss Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SA
Received 1 Jan 2018 - Decided18/002/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Breck House, Gorseness Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EX
Received 1 Jan 2018 - Decided18/003/PP
Change of use of agricultural land to create a cemetery, with boundary wall and vehicle parking, and create an access
Leaquoy (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 4 Jan 2018 - Decided18/005/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
8 Repeater Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1ZP
Received 8 Jan 2018 - Decided18/006/PP
Demolish redundant agricultural building, erect a house with a detached garage and an air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to location approved under 17/081/PP)
Fursbreck Cottage (Land Near), Nearhouse Road, Harray, Orkney Islands, KW17 2JT
Received 8 Jan 2018 - Decided18/007/PP
Erect a detached garage
Plot 5, Sunnyside, St Ola
Received 8 Jan 2018 - Decided18/008/PIP
Siting of a house (re-submission of 17/401/PP)
Carnmore, Annfield Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NS
Received 8 Jan 2018 - Decided18/009/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Redland, Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 8 Jan 2018 - Decided18/010/PP
Change of use of shop, domestic room and garden to a cafe/hot food takeaway (Class 3/Sui generis) and convert a window to a door
3 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 9 Jan 2018
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