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9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided18/459/PP
Erect six accommodation units with air source heat pumps, shared amenity block, parking and landscaping
Mill Hope Caravan, Mill Bay Road, Eday, Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 5 Nov 2018 - Decided18/460/PP
Reinstate and extend former house, convert and extend former house to self-catering and redevelop and extend existing building to form domestic workshop and studio
Meikleplank, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 6 Nov 2018 - Decided18/461/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and extend a house
Hamarfiold, Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 7 Nov 2018 - Decided18/462/PN
Install telecommunications cabinet
Flat (Land Near), Westgar, Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 6 Nov 2018 - Decided18/463/PN
Install communications cabinet
Hall Cottage (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 6 Nov 2018 - Decided18/464/PP
Erect a house (amendment to 08/268/PP)
Elwickbank (Land Near), Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 7 Nov 2018 - Decided18/465/PN
Install a communications cabinet
Glenlee (Land Near) Corston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LQ
Received 6 Nov 2018 - Decided18/466/PN
Install a telecommunications cabinet
Holland House (Land Near), Church Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LQ
Received 6 Nov 2018 - Decided18/467/PN
Install antennas and ancillary development
Stronsay Junior High, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 7 Nov 2018 - Decided18/468/APN
Erect a GP shed
The Castle, Braehead Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JW
Received 7 Nov 2018 - Withdrawn/Returned18/469/PIP
Siting of a house
Morvean (Land Near), Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 9 Nov 2018 - Decided18/470/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle 17/283/PIP)
Heimdal (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 9 Nov 2018 - Decided18/471/HH
Extend a house
Upperhouse, Ortie Road, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 9 Nov 2018 - Decided18/473/PP
Erect a house with integral garage for a retiring farmer (amendment to 17/087/PP)
Huan (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LS
Received 9 Nov 2018 - Decided18/474/LB
Display signage and paint wall
35 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 12 Nov 2018 - Decided18/475/PP
Install multi-coloured glazing and timber cladding, and amend design of windows (amendment to 17/443/PP)
Wellpark Garden Centre, Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NE
Received 12 Nov 2018 - Decided18/476/PP
Change of use from Class 1 (shop) to Class 3 (food & drink) and paint wall
35 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 12 Nov 2018 - Decided18/478/CC
Demolish building
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 13 Nov 2018 - Decided18/479/HH
Extend a house and relocate an air source heat pump
Edenmore, 12 Hatston Park, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UB
Received 13 Nov 2018 - Decided18/481/VR
Variation to condition 4 of planning permission 08/480/PPF to extend the period of consent to 25 years
Gallo Hill, Westray
Received 13 Nov 2018 - Decided18/482/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (amendment to 16/149/PP including boundary change)
Grimestone Park (land Near), Newark Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 14 Nov 2018 - Decided18/483/PP
Create an access
East Quoys, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 14 Nov 2018 - Decided18/484/HH
Extend a house
Te Anau, 6 Papdale Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JU
Received 14 Nov 2018 - Decided18/485/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
East Kirbist, Kirbist Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DR
Received 15 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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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