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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/062/PP
Install a telecommunications cabinet
Overlea (Land Near), Stenness, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HQ
Received 13 Feb 2018 - Decided18/063/APN
Erect a GP shed
Howquoy, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 13 Feb 2018 - Decided18/064/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage
Upper Waston Road (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 13 Feb 2018 - Decided18/065/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
3 Work Road, Watersfield, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 13 Feb 2018 - Decided18/066/PP
Install four air source heat pumps (part retrospective)(amendment to 16/601/PP)
Orkney Television Enterprise, 17 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 14 Feb 2018 - Decided18/067/LB
Install four air source heat pumps (part retrospective) (amendment to 17/007/LB)
Orkney Television Enterprise, 17 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 14 Feb 2018 - Decided18/068/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Plot 12, Damsay View, Finstown, Orkney
Received 19 Feb 2018 - Decided18/069/PP
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 19 Feb 2018 - Decided18/071/PP
Erect a house and create an access (amendment to 15/316/PP)
Bonnyvoe, Stews Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RL
Received 19 Feb 2018 - Decided18/070/PP
Erect a dairy
Howe, Howe Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JU
Received 19 Feb 2018 - Decided18/072/PIP
Siting of a house
5 Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DL
Received 19 Feb 2018 - Decided18/073/PP
Install paving (part retrospective)
Orkney Aggregates Ltd Showroom, Grainshore Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1FL
Received 20 Feb 2018 - Decided18/075/HH
Extend a house
Arncorrie, Linklater Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XX
Received 21 Feb 2018 - Decided18/076/AD
Display signage
16 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 21 Feb 2018 - Decided18/077/HH
Extend a house
Blinkbonnie, Cloke Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 21 Feb 2018 - Decided18/078/TC
Fell a tree
The Haven, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF
Received 21 Feb 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/079/HH
Extend a house and create an access
Vola, Grimeston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 22 Feb 2018 - Decided18/080/PP
Change of use and extend to form a hot food takeaway
18 John Street, Stromness, Orkney
Received 22 Feb 2018 - Decided18/081/PP
Convert redundant non-domestic building to a house
Appie's Tea Room And Gallery, Pow Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 22 Feb 2018 - Decided18/082/LB
Demolish then rebuild stone dyke
22 High Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AZ
Received 22 Feb 2018 - Decided18/083/HH
Erect a replacement garage (retrospective)
Craigievar, 1 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 26 Feb 2018 - Decided18/084/HH
Remove Norwegian slate, install replacement slates, ridge tiles and rooflights, and install an air source heat pump (part-retrospective)
2 Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NW
Received 26 Feb 2018 - Decided18/085/LB
Remove Norwegian slate, install replacement slates, ridge tiles and rooflights, and install an air source heat pump (part-retrospective)
2 Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NW
Received 26 Feb 2018 - Decided18/087/PP
Convert redundant mill to a house, demolish modern structures, re-roof and extend and create an access
Greenwall Mill, Holm, Orkney
Received 5 Mar 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