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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided19/329/PN
Install a pole, antennae, cabinets and associated works
Holm Community Hall, St Mary's Road, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RT
Received 9 Sept 2019 - Decided19/330/PP
Extend a building
Orkney Auction Mart, Grainshore Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1FL
Received 9 Sept 2019 - Decided19/331/PP
Extend a school
Dounby Primary School, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2JA
Received 9 Sept 2019 - Unknown18/533/NMV/01
Change of external finish colours to the cedral cladding/boarding and render/dashing and installation of inline solar panels on roofs.
Weyland Housing Development (Phase 1), Carness Road, Kirkwall
Received 12 Sept 2019 - Decided19/333/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a polycrub
Quarryfield, Scorradale Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RF
Received 12 Sept 2019 - Decided19/334/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Kerlin (Plot 5) (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 16 Sept 2019 - Decided19/335/LB
Install replacement windows, doors and rooflights, internal alterations (amendment to 18/278/LB)
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 16 Sept 2019 - Decided19/336/PP
Erect a GP shed
Whitehall Farm, Whitehall Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AT
Received 16 Sept 2019 - Decided19/337/PP
Extend a school
Papdale Primary School, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PJ
Received 16 Sept 2019 - Unknown18/280/NMV/01
Omit extension, miscellaneous internal revisions
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 17 Sept 2019 - Decided19/338/PP
Demolish a chalet, erect three houses with air source heat pumps, create an access and amend an access
Sma'quoy, Wardhill Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HS
Received 18 Sept 2019 - Decided19/339/LB
Form an opening in wall and install a gate
Holland Water Service Reservoir (Land Near), Hollandstoun, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 19 Sept 2019 - Decided19/340/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Quoyloo Cottage, Bristol Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LY
Received 20 Sept 2019 - Withdrawn/Returned19/341/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (one for one)
Midhouse (Land Near), Tenston, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JA
Received 24 Sept 2019 - Decided19/342/VR
Remove condition 02 from planning permission 18/136/PP (occupation of house)
Orkney Seafayre, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TU
Received 24 Sept 2019 - Decided19/343/PIP
Siting of a house
Breck Of Aikerness, Westray, Orkney
Received 24 Sept 2019 - Decided19/344/LB
Form opening in stone dyke and install a gate
Parish Church, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 24 Sept 2019 - Decided19/345/PP
Reinstate and extend a house, erect an outbuilding, and create an access (resubmission of 19/248/PP)
Sunnybraes (Land Near), Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 25 Sept 2019 - Decided19/346/PP
Alter a building (including part demolition)
Swannay Brewery, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NP
Received 25 Sept 2019 - Decided19/347/PP
Replace roof covering, pointing and harling, install replacement windows and doors and extend cafe
25 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 25 Sept 2019 - Appeal lodged19/348/PIP
Siting of a house
Southview, Village Road, Burray Village, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 27 Sept 2019 - Decided19/349/TC
Fell a sycamore
The Strynd Nursery, Strynd, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HG
Received 27 Sept 2019 - Decided19/350/HH
Extend a house
Peedie Borthwick, Cornquoy Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 30 Sept 2019 - Decided19/351/HH
Extend a house
Burnside, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PH
Received 30 Sept 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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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.
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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