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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided19/097/HH
Extend a house
1 Watson Close, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1WD
Received 12 Mar 2019 - Decided19/098/APN
Erect a GP shed
Workwell, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 11 Mar 2019 - Decided19/099/LB
Paint external walls, form window cills, and minor alterations to the boundary walls
Quivals Farm House, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2BN
Received 13 Mar 2019 - Decided19/100/MAR
Create salmon farming site comprising of 16 x 100 metre circumference circular cages arranged in a 2 x (2 x 4) formation with a 70 metre grid, with a 300 tonne capacity semi-automated feed barge
Bay Of Holland, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 13 Mar 2019 - Decided19/101/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access (one for one)
Pulkitto (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PG
Received 13 Mar 2019 - Decided19/102/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and retain existing building (one for one)
Blackha' (land Near), Work Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UF
Received 14 Mar 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/103/APN
Erect a GP shed
Lyde, Lyde Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/104/PP
Re-roof sheds
Highland Park Distillery, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RX
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/105/PP
Demolish existing building, erect a workshop, gallery and flat, including first floor balcony, and car parking and landscaping
Former Andersons Garage, St Mary's, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RS
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/106/AD
Display a fascia sign
50 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/107/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and create an access
Langalour (Land Near), Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/108/LB
Paint front door
14 Wellington Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 15 Mar 2019 - Decided19/109/HH
Extend a house
Corse, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/110/PIP
Siting of a house (resubmission of 19/022/PIP)
Weaverhall Cottage, Weaverhall Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/111/HH
Re-point walls, install replacement windows and door, and install an air source heat pump
16 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BY
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/112/HH
Erect a garage, workshop and greenhouse
Savisgarth Evie Orkney Islands KW17 2PQ
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/113/NATEIA
Erect a 220/132kV substation comprising platform area, electrical infrastructure and buildings, associated plant, ancillary infrastructure, drainage, landscaping, access road and temporary construction compound areas
Stymilders/Heddle Hill (Land Near), Firth, Orkney
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/114/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (amendment to 13/048/PP)
Site 3 Parkhouse (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TQ
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Decided19/115/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump and create an access, and install solar panels
Harrowdale (land Near), Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 18 Mar 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/116/PP
Erect two houses and create an access
Sma'quoy, Wardhill Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HS
Received 19 Mar 2019 - Decided19/117/PP
Extend a shed
Kirkwall Bowling Club, Brandyquoy, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Mar 2019 - Decided19/118/AD
Display freestanding, totem, post-mounted and wall-mounted signage, illuminated and non-illuminated
New Scapa Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Mar 2019 - Decided19/119/PP
Extend a studio
Kristin Linklater Voice Centre, Housegarth Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LY
Received 20 Mar 2019 - Decided19/121/PP
Create a house (subdivision of curtilage)
West Greenigoe, St Ola, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SG
Received 21 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
All planning guides
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Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
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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.
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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