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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Appeal lodged18/404/PP
Convert redundant agricultural building to a house
Quivals, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 28 Sept 2018 - Decided18/405/LB
Demolish lean-to and modern walls, remove vented ridge tiles, point roof slates, install rooflights, metal rainwater goods, casement windows, doors, and other internal alterations including removal of stalls
Quivals, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 28 Sept 2018 - Decided18/406/PP
Install a telecommunication cabinet
1 Garson Place (Land Near), Coplands Road, Stromness, KW16 3EE
Received 28 Sept 2018 - Decided18/408/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Ivy Cottage, Beaquoy Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 1 Oct 2018 - Decided18/409/PP
Install four air source heat pumps, create landscaped garden and re-line car park
Firth Community Centre, Maitland Place, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2EQ
Received 1 Oct 2018 - Decided18/410/PIP
Siting of a house
3 Victoria Street (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 1 Oct 2018 - Decided18/411/HH
Install an air source heat pump
Klahanie, Springfield Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XU
Received 2 Oct 2018 - Decided18/412/PP
Install a 10m lattice tower and vessel traffic service
Ward Hill, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 3 Oct 2018 - Decided18/413/PP
Install two floodlights
14 Palace Road Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1PA
Received 3 Oct 2018 - Decided18/414/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage (amendment to 16/242/AMC)
Plot 2, Whitecleat, Tankerness, Orkney
Received 4 Oct 2018 - Decided18/415/AD
Display a fascia sign
8 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 5 Oct 2018 - Decided18/416/AD
Display signage.
Tower Building, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JY
Received 5 Oct 2018 - Decided18/417/PP
Subdivide and extend a house to create four flats. subdivide curtilage and erect a house, install five air source heat pumps, improve access and create parking
Bayview, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DL
Received 5 Oct 2018 - Decided18/418/PP
Install a surface water detention pond, pipe and outfall (retrospective) (re-submission of 18/300/PP)
West Grainbank (Land Near) Kirkwall
Received 5 Oct 2018 - Unknown18/419/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump
Vanskavaig (Land Near), Carness, St Ola, Orkney
Received 8 Oct 2018 - Decided18/420/PP
Extend a hotel
Lynnfield Hotel, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SU
Received 8 Oct 2018 - Decided18/423/PP
Change of use from agricultural to storage (class 6)
Hatston Farm, St Ola, Orkney
Received 9 Oct 2018 - Decided18/424/PP
Section 42 application to remove condition 5 of planning application 18/101/PP
2 Firth Bay Bungalows, Finstown, Firth, Orkney
Received 9 Oct 2018 - Decided18/425/PP
Conversion of self-catering to a house
Quoy Of Houton, Tower Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 9 Oct 2018 - Decided18/426/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
29 Main Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BU
Received 9 Oct 2018 - Decided18/427/PP
Install a rooflight
The Creel Front Road St Margarets Hope South Ronaldsay Orkney Islands KW17 2SL
Received 10 Oct 2018 - Decided18/428/PP
Change of use from a cafe (Class 3) to letting rooms (Class 7)
Jim & Freds Cafe, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 10 Oct 2018 - Decided18/429/PP
Change of use from public house to owner's accommodation to serve letting rooms
Anchorage, Front Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SL
Received 10 Oct 2018 - Decided18/430/PP
Erect a storage shed (Class 6)
Crowness Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney,
Received 11 Oct 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