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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/105/HH
Extend a house
Cranford, 16 Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NG
Received 11 Mar 2020 - Decided20/106/AD
Display a sign
Covingtrie House, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LB
Received 11 Mar 2020 - Decided20/107/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (subdivision of curtilage)
Woodlands (Land Near), Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 12 Mar 2020 - Decided20/108/VR
Vary condition 1 of planning permission 18/022/PP (temporary period)
West End, Cromarty Square, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SN
Received 12 Mar 2020 - Decided20/109/VR
Vary conditions 05, 06 and 08 (finishing materials and landscaping) of planning permission 17/311/PP
Briarlea (Land Near), Bigswell Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LA
Received 16 Mar 2020 - Unknown19/115/NMV/02
Removal of chimney stacks and skews and installation of stove flues
Harrowdale (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 16 Mar 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/110/TPP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage, create an access, and erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 11.8 metres)
Furrowend, Westhill Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 16 Mar 2020 - Decided20/111/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Verdandi, 54 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG
Received 16 Mar 2020 - Decided20/112/TPP
Erect two wind turbines (maximum height of 150 metres, maximum capacity 8.4 MW total), a substation, hydrogen production facility and welfare building, construct access tracks, create borrow pits and associated infrastructure
Hammars Hill, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PQ
Received 17 Mar 2020 - Decided20/113/APN
Erect two polytunnels
Benziecott, Measer Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BL
Received 17 Mar 2020 - Decided20/114/PIP
Siting of two replacement houses (1 x one for one and 1 x two for one), convert a redundant building to a house and create an access
Blinkbonny (Land Near), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 17 Mar 2020 - Unknown18/542/NMV/01
Additional Sprinkler tank housing, GSHP borehole arrangement layout, minor window changes and additional roof dormers for ventilation supply
St Andrews Primary School St Andrews Orkney Islands KW17 2QG
Received 18 Mar 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/115/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and create an access (one for one)
Nether Hammer (Land Near), Greeny Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HR
Received 19 Mar 2020 - Decided20/116/HH
Replace roof covering with Orkney slate
Marinvale, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 19 Mar 2020 - Decided20/117/LB
Display a plaque
6 Melvin Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DD
Received 20 Mar 2020 - Decided20/119/PP
Erect 28 houses, create an access and construct a footway
Weyland Housing Development (Phase 3), Carness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Mar 2020 - Decided20/120/HH
Extend a house
Lingmira, Outertown Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 23 Mar 2020 - Decided20/121/PP
Erect a building for a temporary period of three years (resubmission of 19/165/PP)
Barony Mills, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LY
Received 23 Mar 2020 - Decided20/122/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
2 Moar Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 23 Mar 2020 - Decided20/123/HH
Erect decking
Skeldro, Northside Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LU
Received 23 Mar 2020 - Decided20/124/PP
Install a container
Gallowhill Wind Turbine, Westray, Orkney
Received 25 Mar 2020 - Decided20/125/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage, detached garage and an air source heat pump
Bea, Ballarat Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 26 Mar 2020 - Decided20/126/PP
Erect a replacement house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump, and alter an access
Breckquoy (Land Near), Ballarat Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 31 Mar 2020 - Decided20/128/PP
Convert redundant building to two houses including re-roofing
Cumpar (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 2 Apr 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