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
139Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,077 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 15 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided19/071/PP
Erect 15 houses with air source heat pumps, construct roads and associated landscaping
Walliwall (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 22 Feb 2019 - Decided19/072/PP
Create two houses and install an air source heat pump (subdivision of dwelling house) (retrospective)
Kingsdale, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TT
Received 22 Feb 2019 - Decided19/073/PP
Demolish shed, erect two storey office extension, rebuild sections of wall, create pedestrian access, hardstanding and courtyard, and install an air source heat pump (resubmission of 18/452/PP)
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 25 Feb 2019 - Decided19/074/HH
Install an air source heat pump
24 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 25 Feb 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/075/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and create an access (one for one) (resubmission of 18/359/PIP)
The Gables (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney KW17 2QR
Received 26 Feb 2019 - Decided19/076/HH
Extend a house
17 Station Square, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SE
Received 28 Feb 2019 - Decided19/077/PP
Install a 1.2 metre diameter satellite dish
Kirkwall Telephone Exchange, Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 28 Feb 2019 - Decided19/078/HH
Extend a house
Norlands, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NA
Received 28 Feb 2019 - Decided19/079/TPP
Erect a 5kW wind turbine (maximum height 21.5m)
Seatter, Denwick Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 1 Mar 2019 - Decided19/080/PP
Change of use from training centre (Class 10) to offices (Class 2) (retrospective)
2 West Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AL
Received 1 Mar 2019 - Decided19/081/AMC
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump, a detached garage and create an access (following 17/090/PIP)
Backatown (Land Near), Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 4 Mar 2019 - Decided19/082/LB
Install an air source heat pump
24 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 5 Mar 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/083/PP
Change of use from a shop to a shop and cafe (Class 1 and Class 3)
Bankhouse, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BJ
Received 5 Mar 2019 - Decided19/084/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Green (Land Near), South Walls, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PQ
Received 5 Mar 2019 - Decided19/085/PP
Erect a composting toilet (amendment to 18/024/PP)
Graemsay Hall (Land Near), Breckan Road, Graemsay, Orkney, KW16 3NG
Received 6 Mar 2019 - Decided19/086/HH
Extend a house
Kinvarra, Skiddy Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2HF
Received 7 Mar 2019 - Decided19/087/HH
Install an air source heat pump, create an access and erect a fence (retrospective) (resubmission of 19/043/HH)
2 Ingale, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UY
Received 6 Mar 2019 - Decided19/088/HH
Install a dormer window and two roof lights (retrospective)
Yeldavale, Ballarat Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 7 Mar 2019 - Decided19/089/PP
Temporary change of use from quarry to industrial
Loth Quarry, Sanday, Orkney
Received 8 Mar 2019 - Decided19/091/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Galeed, Stenness, Orkney
Received 11 Mar 2019 - Decided19/092/PP
Erect a pod and associated landscaping (class 7)
Easthouse Sandwick Orkney Islands KW17 2JE
Received 11 Mar 2019 - Decided19/094/PP
Erect a house for a rural business with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Farewell (Land Near), St Margarets Hope, Orkney
Received 12 Mar 2019 - Decided19/095/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump, create an access and retain existing building (one for one)
Eastdam, Widewall, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 12 Mar 2019 - Decided19/096/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (amendment to 17/277/HH)
Pallast, Hutter Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 12 Mar 2019
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