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 dates11,981Searchable applications
139Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,077 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 15 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided19/202/PP
Erect a house with detached garage
Howe (Land Near) (Boonland/Tankfield), North Loch Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 17 May 2019 - Decided19/205/PP
Erect a telecommunications pole and antenna
Burgar Hill, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 17 May 2019 - Decided19/206/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Trumland Lodge (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 20 May 2019 - Decided19/209/APN
Erect a GP shed
Hamarfiold, Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 20 May 2019 - Decided19/210/MARSS
Screening and scoping request to create a salmon fish farm
Chalmers Hope, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 20 May 2019 - Decided19/211/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (one for one), convert a redundant building to a house, extend and install an air source heat pump, and erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump (two for one) and create an access.
Newhouse (Land Near), Russland Road, Harray, Orkney
Received 21 May 2019 - Decided19/213/PP
Extend a shop, re-roof, install an air source heat pump and reposition of a septic tank
Anchorfast Buildings, Pier Road, Longhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PG
Received 22 May 2019 - Decided19/214/PP
Install decking and re-roof marquee (retrospective)
Standing Stones Hotel, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3JX
Received 22 May 2019 - Decided19/215/HH
Install replacement windows
Highbury, 16 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 22 May 2019 - Decided19/216/LB
Install two brass plaques and paint door panel
Kirkwall Hotel, Harbour Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LE
Received 23 May 2019 - Decided19/217/PP
Erect 10 houses (amendment to 10/385/PP)
Breckan Brae (Land Near), St Marys, Holm, Orkney,
Received 24 May 2019 - Decided19/218/PP
Construct a pitched roof over flat roof to create a flat and install three air source heat pumps (amendment to 17/540/PP) (part retrospective)
58 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 28 May 2019 - Decided19/219/PP
Install a surface water pipe
Former Andersons Garage (Land Near), St Mary's, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2R
Received 29 May 2019 - Decided19/220/PP
Change of use of footway to outside seating area
14 Harbour Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LE
Received 29 May 2019 - Decided19/221/PP
Change of use of footway to outside seating area
St Ola Hotel, Harbour Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LE
Received 29 May 2019 - Decided19/222/MARSS
Screening and scoping request to create a salmon fish farm
Moclett East, North Sound, Papa Westray, Orkney
Received 29 May 2019 - Decided19/223/APN
Erect a GP shed
Dunedin, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 30 May 2019 - Decided19/224/PP
Erect a GP shed
Hilton, Sands Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EA
Received 30 May 2019 - Decided19/225/MARSS
Install a feed barge at an existing fish farm site
Ouseness, Papa Sound, Westray
Received 30 May 2019 - Decided19/227/PP
Install a bench (resubmission of 18/275/PP)
South End (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 3 Jun 2019 - Decided19/228/MARPN
Install a replacement feed barge
Bay Of Vady, Rousay Sound, Rousay
Received 4 Jun 2019 - Decided16/572/NMV/01
Boreholes for ground source heat pump to supply cenral heating system
Garson (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 4 Jun 2019 - Decided19/229/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage, reinstate derelict building as an annexe and create an access (one for one)
Muirhouse, Orphir, Orkney,
Received 4 Jun 2019 - Decided19/230/PN
Install a pole, antennae, cabinet and associated works
Car Park (Land Near), A Tait & Sons, Dounby, Orkney
Received 5 Jun 2019
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
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
UK researchPublished Updated
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