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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/033/HH
Erect a garage
Bayview, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX
Received 29 Jan 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/034/TC
Prune a sycamore
9 Cromwell Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LH
Received 30 Jan 2020 - Decided20/036/PP
Erect an agricultural building
Dalespot, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 31 Jan 2020 - Decided20/037/TPPMAJ
Erect 6 wind turbines (maximum height 149.9 metres, maximum wind farm capacity 50MW), erect a meteorological mast (maximum height 90 metres) and a substation, create an access and construct access tracks, and associated infrastructure
Quanterness (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 31 Jan 2020 - Decided20/038/PP
Erect a shed and create an access (part retrospective)
Duntroon, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JU
Received 30 Jan 2020 - Decided20/039/AMC
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 16/531/PIP)
Hottit (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 3 Feb 2020 - Unknown19/130/NMV/01
All windows and doors change colour to Anthracite from what was on original plan (Teal)
1 Congesquoy Howe Road Stromness Parish Orkney Islands KW16 3JU
Received 3 Feb 2020 - Decided20/040/HH
Alter window to form a doorway and install a replacement door
26 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PS
Received 3 Feb 2020 - Decided20/041/HH
Extend a house, install an air source heat pump and create a pedestrian access
Carinya, 22 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DZ
Received 3 Feb 2020 - Decided20/042/PP
Extend a car park, and associated drainage infrastructure
Lidl, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 5 Feb 2020 - Decided20/043/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
8 Watersfield Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZR
Received 6 Feb 2020 - Decided20/044/PP
Erect an agricultural shed above existing tank
The Glebe, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 6 Feb 2020 - Decided20/045/HH
Extend a house
Rosebank, Bryameadow Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 7 Feb 2020 - Decided20/046/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and integral garage, and convert a redundant building to a house with an air source heat pump (two for one)
Windwick (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 7 Feb 2020 - Decided20/047/PP
Change of use of part of private car park to a hot food van site
Ortak Factory (Land Near), Garrison Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1RH
Received 7 Feb 2020 - Decided20/048/PP
Demolish former bus station and change of use of land to car park (resubmission of 19/271/PP
Former Bus Station, Great Western Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 7 Feb 2020 - Decided20/049/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and an integral garage
Garth, Outertown Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 10 Feb 2020 - Decided20/050/PP
Erect a replacement house and alter an access (part retrospective) (amendment to 14/527/PP)
Lyradale, Nistaben Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 10 Feb 2020 - Decided20/051/PP
Change of use of land from agriculture to domestic and erect a garage
The Tower, Tower Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 10 Feb 2020 - Decided20/052/HH
Replace roof covering
Hillcrest, Heatherybraes Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 11 Feb 2020 - Unknown18/258/NMV/01
Change external render to larch left to weather naturally
Mayfield Farmhouse, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SU
Received 11 Feb 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/053/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Sunnybrae (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 12 Feb 2020 - Decided20/054/TC
Pollard two semi-mature sycamores
43 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BY
Received 12 Feb 2020 - Decided20/055/TC
Prune previously pollarded mature sycamore
24 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BZ
Received 12 Feb 2020
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