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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/271/HH
Extend a house
Darwin, Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TR
Received 5 Jul 2018 - Decided18/272/HH
Install solar panels, garden seating area and a polytunnel (retrospective)
Eryldene Villa, Bloomfield Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 5 Jul 2018 - Decided18/273/APN
Erect a GP shed
Heads, Lowertown Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TL
Received 6 Jul 2018 - Decided18/274/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and integral garage, and create an access (amendment to 16/593/PP)
Loretto (Plot 2), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 6 Jul 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/275/PP
Install a bench
South End (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/276/PP
Temporary change of use of land to allotments, erect a shed and polytunnel, and create an access and parking (retrospective)
Stromness Community Garden, Brownstown Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/277/PN
Install a pole, antennae, 2 cabinets and associated works
Church Road, St Margarets Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SR
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/278/LB
Install replacement windows, doors and rooflights, internal alterations and erect three story extension
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/279/PN
Install a pole, antennae, cabinet and associated works
Stronsay BT Exchange, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AR
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/280/PP
Convert redundant mill to house and erect three story extension
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 9 Jul 2018 - Decided18/281/SCO
Scoping opinion request to extend quarry
Cursiter Quarry, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney
Received 5 Jul 2018 - Decided18/282/LB
Replace roof covering and install roof lights (retrospective)
52A Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 10 Jul 2018 - Decided18/283/HH
Extend a house
42 Craigie Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EP
Received 11 Jul 2018 - Decided18/284/HH
Install an air source heat pump
20 Kirklands Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EU
Received 11 Jul 2018 - Decided18/285/APN
Erect a GP shed
Nistaben 2, Nistaben Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 12 Jul 2018 - Decided18/286/PP
Erect a replacement house with an integral garage
Midhouse (Land Near), Tenston Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JA
Received 12 Jul 2018 - Decided18/287/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, install two air source heat pumps and create an access (subdivision of curtilage)
Rosemount, Holland Road, Holm, Orkney
Received 16 Jul 2018 - Decided18/288/PP
Erect 7 houses with air source heat pumps (including 4 with integral garage), install a communal septic tank and create accesses (resubmission of 17/342/PP)
Dalvenna, Scapa Brae, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SF
Received 17 Jul 2018 - Decided18/289/PP
Extraction of sand
Cara, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 19 Jul 2018 - Decided18/290/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
West Burnside, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QX
Received 20 Jul 2018 - Decided18/291/PP
Change of use from cafe (Class 3) to gallery (Class 10)
The Old Gallery, Woodwick Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PQ
Received 20 Jul 2018 - Decided18/292/LB
Rebuild section of wall and alterations to kiln
Sabiston Mill, Dounby, Birsay, Orkney, KW15 2HS
Received 23 Jul 2018 - Decided18/294/HH
Extend a house
Eastgarth, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX
Received 25 Jul 2018 - Decided18/295/HH
Erect a domestic garage
Switha, Weaverhall Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 25 Jul 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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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