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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/351/HH
Install an air source heat pump
13 Garden Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JA
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/352/EB
Overhead line deviation on 11kVA high voltage overhead line
Cott Farm (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/353/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Cusiter Close (Plot 1), Watersfield, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/354/AMC
Siting of a fishing industry building with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 17/432/PIP)(amendment to 18/317/AMC).
Kirkwall Pier, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/355/PP
Change of use of agricultural land to domestic and erect a domestic annex
North House, Horries Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/356/LB
Demolish the majority of two walls, rebuild in block, replace roof, install curtain glazing and internal alterations
Woo, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/357/PP
Change of use of land and former mill to domestic, and alterations to building
Woo Sanday Orkney Islands KW17 2AZ
Received 7 Sept 2018 - Decided18/358/PP
Convert a redundant building to a house and extend, and erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump (two for one).
Towerhill (Plot 3), Inganess Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SR
Received 10 Sept 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/359/PIP
Sitting of two houses (one for one)
The Gables (Land Near) Tankerness Hall Road Tankerness St Andrews Orkney Islands KW17 2QR
Received 10 Sept 2018 - Decided18/360/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Hunton, Stronsay, Orkney KW17 2AE
Received 10 Sept 2018 - Decided18/361/LB
Demolish and erect replacement porch, install replacement doors and windows and air source heat pumps, and internal alterations
Hillside Hillside Road Hoy Orkney Islands KW16 3PQ
Received 10 Sept 2018 - Decided18/362/PP
Erect a house with air source heat pump, detached garage and create an access.
Upper Dykeside (Land Near), Eday Orkney
Received 10 Sept 2018 - Decided18/363/HH
Extend a house
Duncans, Malisburgh Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 11 Sept 2018 - Decided18/365/PP
Demolish boundary wall, re-lay flagstone path, extend car parking, erect metal railing and render wall
48 & 54 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DA
Received 12 Sept 2018 - Decided18/366/LB
Demolish boundary wall and re-lay flagstone path
48 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BZ
Received 12 Sept 2018 - Decided18/367/PP
Change of use from storage shed to plant storage and indoor sports studio
Scott's Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 12 Sept 2018 - Decided18/368/HH
Extend a house
Vinquin, Benlaw Road, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NN
Received 13 Sept 2018 - Decided18/371/PP
Change of use from a house (class 9) to a Guest house (class 7) and extend
Castaway Peerie Sea Loan Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1UH
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/372/PN
Install antennas and ancillary development
Ayre Of Cara, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/373/PN
Install antennas and ground-based apparatus
St Margarets Hope Pier, Orkney, KW17 2SW
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/374/PN
Install antennas and ground-based apparatus
Lopness, Langbigging Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/375/PN
Install antennas and ground-based apparatus
Schoolhouse, Howar Road, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/376/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump
Plot 7, Watersfield Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZR
Received 14 Sept 2018 - Decided18/377/HH
Extend a house
Marinvale, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 14 Sept 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