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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/030/HH
Extend a house
16 Hermaness, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XA
Received 21 Jan 2021 - Decided21/031/LB
Re-roof, wet harl walls and install replacement windows and rainwater goods
24 John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD
Received 22 Jan 2021 - Decided21/032/PP
Reduce height of section of stone wall, create stone wall enclosure with paving, reinstate a greenhouse and re-roof a greenhouse with polycarbonate, install benches and three CCTV cameras and surface yard with gravel
Tankerness House Gardens, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 22 Jan 2021 - Decided21/033/LB
Reduce height of section of stone wall, reinstate a greenhouse and re-roof a greenhouse with polycarbonate and install three CCTV cameras
Tankerness House Gardens, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 22 Jan 2021 - Decided21/034/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Hobbister, Orphir, Orkney
Received 26 Jan 2021 - Decided21/035/AMC
Erect a house with a detached garage and an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 19/162/PIP)
Scarvataing, Groatsetter Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 26 Jan 2021 - Decided21/036/PP
Decommission existing fuel tanks, and install 2 fuel tanks and pumps and bollards and other infrastructure
Eday Community Enterprise, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 27 Jan 2021 - Decided21/037/TPO
Prune five trees
Orcadee/2 Firth Bay Bungalows, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EQ
Received 27 Jan 2021 - Decided21/038/VR
Vary condition 2 of planning permission 19/131/HH (no alteration to hedge)
Kinsarvik, The Keelies, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GA
Received 28 Jan 2021 - Decided21/039/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with air source heat pumps
Arion, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LN
Received 29 Jan 2021 - Decided21/040/PP
Erect a 15m lattice telecommunications tower
Kirkbrae, Swanson Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 29 Jan 2021 - Decided21/041/HH
Extend a house
Fallwen, Gorseness Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2EX
Received 1 Feb 2021 - Unknown20/404/NMV/01
Reduce overall length of structure to 7m internal (7.6m external). Retain original width (7m internal, 7.6m external). Remove one west elevation personnel door (previously, access to Garden Storage). Otherwise, all others to remain as previously
Westbank, Stronsay, Orkney , KW17 2AF
Received 1 Feb 2021 - Decided21/042/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to install a temporary overhead line
Rackwick Bay, Hoy, Orkney
Received 1 Feb 2021 - Decided21/043/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 17/112/PIP)
Boondatoon, Rerwick Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 1 Feb 2021 - Decided21/044/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and temporary siting of a caravan
Lower Gritley, Deerness, Orkney
Received 2 Feb 2021 - Decided21/045/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage
Plot 50 Breckan Brae, St Marys, Holm, Orkney
Received 2 Feb 2021 - Decided21/046/PP
Erect a house for a retiring farmer with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Appietown (Land Near), Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PB
Received 3 Feb 2021 - Decided21/047/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Achins (Land Near), 9 Castlehame Park, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1XZ
Received 3 Feb 2021 - Unknown20/420/NMV/01
Change GP Shed Roof material from Green Plastiol coated sheet steel to Natural Grey PR6 Fibre Cement. To provide an alternative location for solar panels than Dwelling Roof. The alternative location would be the south facing pitch of the GP Shed Roof.
Craigielea (Land Near), Wasbister, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 2 Feb 2021 - Decided21/048/HH
Extend a house
Midtown, Hoxa Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2TW
Received 4 Feb 2021 - Decided21/049/PP
Install a pole with CCTV and wifi/radio point
Houton Ferry Terminal And Toilets, Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 4 Feb 2021 - Decided21/050/HH
Extend a house
Gorn, Ness Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JS
Received 4 Feb 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/051/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a garage
Skelray, Blackhill Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1FP
Received 4 Feb 2021
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