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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/036/PP
Erect a replacement house
Heatherhouse Farm, Yinstay Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 29 Jan 2018 - Decided18/037/PP
Extend a workshop
Historic Environment Scotland, Unit 3, Scotts Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GR
Received 29 Jan 2018 - Decided18/038/PIP
Siting of 2 houses (including demolition of former house)
Northcliffe, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AR
Received 30 Jan 2018 - Decided18/039/TC
Pruning a mature tree
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 30 Jan 2018 - Decided18/040/PP
Erect a 10m lattice tower, and install four cabinets and underground cable
Hillside Road (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 31 Jan 2018 - Decided18/041/PP
Re-roof, reduce chimney stack, paint walls, erect a store, convert door to window, and install replacement rainwater goods, fire escape, screen and an air source heat pump
16 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 31 Jan 2018 - Decided18/042/HH
Erect a detached garage
Brekka Harray Orkney KW17 2LG
Received 31 Jan 2018 - Decided18/043/PP
Erect an asphalt mixing plant (retrospective)
Cursiter Quarry, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TT
Received 31 Jan 2018 - Decided18/044/MPN
Replace feed barge
Puldrite, Wide Firth, Orkney
Received 1 Feb 2018 - Decided18/045/HH
Extend a house
1 Saverock Cottage, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TY
Received 2 Feb 2018 - Decided18/046/PP
Erect a tun room
Scapa Distillery, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 2 Feb 2018 - Decided18/047/PP
Convert redundant building to a house, extend, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Sties (Land Near), Noneyha Road, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 5 Feb 2018 - Decided18/049/PP
Erect a roof over a silo to form a GP shed
Sandybank, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AE
Received 5 Feb 2018 - Decided18/050/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic, extend a house, erect a detached garage, and install an air source heat pump
Woodburn, Germiston Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HF
Received 5 Feb 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/051/TC
Fell two mature trees and plant replacement trees
East Church Manse, Thoms Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PF
Received 5 Feb 2018 - Decided18/053/PP
Temporary change of use of land to create contractor storage areas (retrospective)
Gill Pier (Land Near), Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DL
Received 6 Feb 2018 - Decided18/054/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Trondra (Land Near), Rendall. Orkney, KW17 2HF
Received 6 Feb 2018 - Decided18/055/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Trondra (Land Near), Hammar Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2HF
Received 7 Feb 2018 - Decided18/056/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access (subdivision of curtilage)
Fea House (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 8 Feb 2018 - Decided18/057/MAR
Increase consented cage size from 8 x 70 meter to 8 x 90 meter circumference cages
Lyrawa Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2018 - Decided18/058/MAR
Increase consented cage size from 8 x 70m to 8 x 90m circumference cages
Pegal Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2018 - Decided18/059/AD
Display signage
33 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 8 Feb 2018 - Decided18/060/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to 17/101/PP)
Bayview (Land Near), Berstane Lodge Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 12 Feb 2018 - Decided18/061/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump
Fernbank, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RZ
Received 13 Feb 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