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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided19/281/PP
Install a pole, antennae, 2 cabinets and associated works
Substation (Land Near), Quoys, Stromness, Orkney
Received 17 Jul 2019 - Decided19/282/S37SCR
Screening opinion request for overhead lines
Between Finstown Substation & Costa Head Wind Farm, Via Ellibister, And From Ellibister To Rendall, Orkney
Received 18 Jul 2019 - Decided19/283/PP
Install a water bottle refill station
32 Broad Street (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DG
Received 18 Jul 2019 - Decided19/284/APN
Erect a GP shed
Burness, Noup Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 18 Jul 2019 - Decided19/285/PP
Erect an anemometer mast for a temporary period of three years (max height 90m)
Quanterness Farm (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TY
Received 19 Jul 2019 - Decided19/286/PP
Erect an anemometer mast for a temporary period of three years (max height 90m)
Wee Fea (Land Near), Lyness, Orkney
Received 19 Jul 2019 - Decided19/287/HH
Extend a house and relocate an air source heat pump
11A Grieveship Terrace, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AY
Received 22 Jul 2019 - Decided19/288/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage, and create an access
Bressigarth (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 23 Jul 2019 - Decided19/289/PP
Change of use from day centre (Class 10) to offices (Class 4)
Keelylang Centre, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 24 Jul 2019 - Decided19/290/HH
Install an air source heat pump
15 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 24 Jul 2019 - Decided19/291/LB
Install an air source heat pump
15 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 24 Jul 2019 - Decided19/292/PP
Extend a guesthouse
Polrudden, Peerie Sea Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UH
Received 25 Jul 2019 - Decided19/293/LB
Install a rooflight, paint windows and doors and internal alterations
21-23 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 26 Jul 2019 - Decided19/294/PP
Reinstate a house, install an air source heat pump and create an access (part retrospective)
South Wardhill, Stromness, Orkney
Received 29 Jul 2019 - Decided19/295/PP
Install replacement roof, door and wall cladding
Grace Church, 32 John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD
Received 30 Jul 2019 - Decided19/296/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Northwards Depot, Innovation Centre Orkney, Hatston Pier Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1ZL
Received 1 Aug 2019 - Decided19/297/HH
Erect a 2kw roof mounted wind turbine (maximum height 8.4m)
Waterhouse, Waterhouse Road, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 2 Aug 2019 - Decided19/298/LB
Install an air source heat pump with timber housing and alter a fire place
3 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 2 Aug 2019 - Decided19/299/HH
Install an air source heat pump with timber housing.
3 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 2 Aug 2019 - Decided19/300/PP
Change of use of part of former residential institution (Class 8) to 2 houses, and alter an access
Camoran, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RT
Received 5 Aug 2019 - Decided19/301/PP
Install replacement windows, and works to courtyard and entrance
Ground Floor, Block 1 Old Academy Business Centre, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3AW
Received 6 Aug 2019 - Decided19/302/LB
Remove roof slates and install temporary roof covering
The Old Store, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 7 Aug 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/303/PP
Replace roof covering and replace pointing and harling
25 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 9 Aug 2019 - Decided19/304/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Craigielea (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 12 Aug 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
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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