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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/431/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage
9 Watersfield Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZR
Received 12 Oct 2018 - Decided18/432/PP
Convert former care home to two houses and install air source heat pumps
Scarva Taing, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ES
Received 12 Oct 2018 - Decided18/433/HH
Extend a house (amendment to 18/237/HH)
Glendale, Dounby, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HS
Received 12 Oct 2018 - Decided18/435/PP
Demolish a house, fell tree, erect five houses with air source heat pumps, improve an access and landscaping
Pickaquoy Cottage, Peerie Sea Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UH.
Received 15 Oct 2018 - Decided18/436/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (one for one)
Hewin, Whitemire Road, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NL
Received 16 Oct 2018 - Decided18/437/LB
Install a rooflight
The Creel, Front Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SL
Received 17 Oct 2018 - Decided18/438/PP
Construct access road and install services, drainage and footway for 5 house sites
St Clair (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TW
Received 17 Oct 2018 - Decided18/440/PP
Extension and alterations, including new roofing, and change of use to cafe bar, shop and gallery (re-submission of 17/327/PP)
Swannay Brewery, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2NP
Received 18 Oct 2018 - Decided18/441/PP
Amend window design, extend lift overrun and install additional PV roof panels to healthcare facility (retrospective) (amendment to 16/295/AMCMAJ)
New Scapa Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/442/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with air source heat pump
Sunnybrae (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1TP
Received 19 Oct 2018 - Decided18/443/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a shed
Tounigar Greenfield St Andrews Orkney Islands
Received 19 Oct 2018 - Decided18/444/PN
Install a communications cabinet
Vahdi (Land Near), Skiddy Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2HF
Received 22 Oct 2018 - Decided18/445/PN
Install a communications cabinet
Leyhame (Land Near), Cannigall Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 19 Oct 2018 - Decided18/447/APN
Alterations to farm track
Trumland Farm, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 24 Oct 2018 - Decided18/448/PP
Install street pole lighting wraps to 15 lighting poles.
Junction Road & Harbour Street, Kirkwall Orkney
Received 26 Oct 2018 - Decided18/449/HH
Replace window and erect entrance porch
Lidavale, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 30 Oct 2018 - Decided18/450/PP
Erect eight houses with air source heat pumps, create an access and associated landscaping
Walliwall Farm (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 31 Oct 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/452/PP
Demolish shed, erect two storey office extension, alter walls, create access, create hardstanding and courtyard, and install an air source heat pump
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 1 Nov 2018 - Decided18/453/PN
Install a communications cabinet
Gleneagles (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QP
Received 1 Nov 2018 - Decided18/454/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
27 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney
Received 1 Nov 2018 - Decided18/455/PP
Convert part of former residential home to house and form an access
Camoran, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RT
Received 1 Nov 2018 - Decided18/456/HH
Erect a shed
Windward, Blackhill Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1FP
Received 2 Nov 2018 - Decided18/457/PP
Convert store/former primary school to a house
Former Firth School, Finstown, Orkney
Received 5 Nov 2018 - Decided18/458/PP
Extend a shop, amend shop front and boundary walls and install two air source heat pumps (amendment to 17/489/PP)
53 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 5 Nov 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