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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/081/HH
Extend a house
Skeldro, Burray Village, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 28 Feb 2020 - Unknown19/338/NMV/01
Removal of Velux rooflights, fixed pane window to rear first floor gable changed to opener, realignment of houses to two plots to accommodate mains water pipe.
Sma'Quoy, Wardhill Road, Stromness Parish, Orkney
Received 28 Feb 2020 - Decided20/082/PP
Install a dust extraction unit
W F M Brown Bakers, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DL
Received 2 Mar 2020 - Decided20/084/PP
Remove cement render and lime harl wall and chimney stack
38 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 2 Mar 2020 - Decided20/085/PP
Convert a domestic garage to a self-catering unit and install an air source heat pump
Loanside, Biggings Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RX
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/086/PP
Change of use from a cafe/hot food takeaway to domestic
3 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/087/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage
10 Damsay View, Finstown, Orkney
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/088/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Rossmyre Farm, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/090/PP
Change of use of part of former residential institution (Class 8) to a house, alter an access and parking and landscaping
Camoran, Holm Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1RU
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/091/PP
Erect a storage shed, including toilets
East Mainland Agricultural Society Showpark, Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 4 Mar 2020 - Decided20/092/PP
Erect a house for a farm worker with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Newbigging, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 5 Mar 2020 - Decided20/093/PP
Erect a shop, install an air source heat pump, and alter parking and landscaping
Deerness Stores, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QW
Received 5 Mar 2020 - Decided20/094/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Overkelda (Land Near), Church Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LD
Received 5 Mar 2020 - Decided20/095/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Plot 5, West Links, Burray, Orkney
Received 6 Mar 2020 - Unknown19/021/NMV/01
Two vents replaced with windows of same size. Velux repositioned to lean to plant room
Heima, North Bigging Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2HZ
Received 5 Mar 2020 - Decided20/096/PP
Convert upper floor stores to five flats
19 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 9 Mar 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/097/PP
Subdivide a house to two flats, form opening, demolish porch and remove shed roof, harl walls and install staircase and replacement windows and doors
12 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 9 Mar 2020 - Decided20/098/PP
Convert redundant store to four flats (resubmission of 18/267/PP)
42 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG
Received 9 Mar 2020 - Decided20/099/HH
Extend a house
Howe Cottage, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 9 Mar 2020 - Decided20/100/HH
Erect a shed
Aladen, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TQ
Received 9 Mar 2020 - Decided20/101/APN
Erect a GP shed
Stenaday, Grimeston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 10 Mar 2020 - Decided20/102/PP
Change of use of land from agriculture to domestic and erect a garage
Kellyan, The Palace, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LX
Received 10 Mar 2020 - Decided20/103/PP
Erect six houses (cohousing project), create an access, and associated parking and landscaping
Taftingus Place (Land Near), St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2UD
Received 10 Mar 2020 - Decided20/104/PP
Erect four houses
Weyland Housing Development (Phase 2), Carness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 10 Mar 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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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