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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/129/LB
Re-roof with Orkney and Welsh slate, replace section of wall with concrete block, install rooflights, rainwater goods and replacement windows and doors, form new window opening, harl external walls and interior alterations
Cumpar (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 2 Apr 2020 - Decided20/130/AD
Display signage
The Royal Bank Of Scotland, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BJ
Received 2 Apr 2020 - Decided20/131/AD
Display signage
The Royal Bank Of Scotland, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DH
Received 2 Apr 2020 - Decided20/132/AD
Display signage
The Royal Bank Of Scotland, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AR
Received 2 Apr 2020 - Decided20/133/PIP
Siting of a house (subdivision of curtilage)
Maberlea, Newark Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 3 Apr 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/134/HH
Extend a house
32A Clay Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QQ
Received 6 Apr 2020 - Decided20/135/HH
Extend a house
The Willows, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NY
Received 6 Apr 2020 - Decided20/136/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump (subdivision of curtilage)
Mugar, Sandwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RJ
Received 7 Apr 2020 - Decided20/137/MARSS
Screening and scoping request to create a salmon fish farm
East Moclett, North Sound, Orkney
Received 2 Apr 2020 - Decided20/138/TPO
Fell two trees and prune four trees
Highbury, 16 East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HZ
Received 8 Apr 2020 - Decided20/139/PN
Erect a single wood pole and associated stay wires
Westheath, Holm, Orkney
Received 23 Mar 2020 - Decided20/140/HH
Re-harl chimney stack, and paint external walls, windows and doors
14 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 9 Apr 2020 - Decided20/142/PP
Change of use of part of newspaper offices (Class 4) to a gymnasium (Class 11) and install a door
The Orcadian, Hell's Half Acre, Crowness Crescent, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GJ
Received 10 Apr 2020 - Decided20/143/PP
Convert upper floor store to four flats, re-roof, install replacement rooflights and windows and erect a fence
55 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 13 Apr 2020 - Decided20/144/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Brecklah (Land Near), Swartland Road, Dounby, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2020 - Decided20/145/HH
Extend a house
Millhouse, Smittaldy Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DP
Received 14 Apr 2020 - Decided20/146/PP
Change of use of land to a food van site, install a refrigerated container and food van and associated car parking
The Chalet, Grainshore Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, KW15 1RQ
Received 15 Apr 2020 - Decided20/149/PN
Install a cabinet and antennae
Ward Hill, Sandwick, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 15 Apr 2020 - Decided20/150/PP
Paint external walls
Shed, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 16 Apr 2020 - Decided20/152/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, annexe and ground source heating (resubmission of 19/355/PP)
Davaar (Land Near), St Marys, Holm, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/153/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to storage (class 6), create hardstanding and construct earth embankments (part retrospective)
East Quoys, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 17 Apr 2020 - Decided20/154/PP
Convert a domestic outbuilding to a house (subdivision of curtilage)
Upper Bigging, Corrigall Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LQ
Received 17 Apr 2020 - Decided20/155/PP
Erect two houses with air source heat pumps
Eastbrae (Plot 6A & 6B), Stromness, Orkney
Received 20 Apr 2020 - Decided20/156/PP
Install external wall insulation and sheet metal roofing
Stromness Academy, Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JS
Received 20 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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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