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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/052/PP
Erect a storage shed
Innovation Centre Orkney, Hatston Pier Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1ZL
Received 5 Feb 2021 - Decided21/053/PP
Install a polycrub and alterations to paths and landscaping
Hamnavoe House, Coplands Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BW
Received 8 Feb 2021 - Decided21/054/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Hewing (Land Near), Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 8 Feb 2021 - Decided21/055/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
4 Moar Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FS
Received 8 Feb 2021 - Decided21/056/PA
Class 29 prior approval to erect a ferry waiting room and toilets
Gibraltar Pier, Flotta, Orkney
Received 9 Feb 2021 - Decided21/057/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
9 Moar Drive, Watersfield, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 9 Feb 2021 - Decided21/058/HH
Install replacement windows and doors and an air source heat pump, clad walls of existing extension, internal alterations and erect a fence (amendment to 20/185/HH)
9 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 9 Feb 2021 - Decided21/059/LB
Install replacement windows and doors and an air source heat pump, clad walls of existing extension, internal alterations and erect a fence (amendment to 20/186/LB)
9 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 9 Feb 2021 - Decided21/060/LB
Paint external walls
6 Nicolson Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BD
Received 10 Feb 2021 - Decided21/061/PP
Erect two fabrication sheds including ancillary storage (Class 5), create an access and associated landscaping
Plot H61, Crowness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1RG
Received 10 Feb 2021 - Unknown20/094/NMV/01
Relocate septic tank, add two additional velux windows and change one window to french doors
Overkelda (Land Near), Church Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LD
Received 10 Feb 2021 - Decided21/062/HH
Extend a house
Greenhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PQ
Received 11 Feb 2021 - Decided21/063/PP
Change of use of land to a food van site, install a refrigerated container and extend and associated car parking (part retrospective)
The Chalet, Grainshore Drive, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, KW15 1RQ
Received 11 Feb 2021 - Decided21/064/PP
Erect a joinery workshop (Class 5) (resubmission of 20/378/PP)
Old Schoolhouse, Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 12 Feb 2021 - Decided21/065/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Kerlin (Plot 4) (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 15 Feb 2021 - Decided21/066/PP
Erect a house and create an access
Lower Rumin (Land Near), Rackwick, Hoy, Orkney
Received 15 Feb 2021 - Decided21/067/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one) and adjacent landscaping
Wideford Reservoir (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 15 Feb 2021 - Decided21/068/APN
Erect a GP shed
Noup, Noup Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 15 Feb 2021 - Decided21/069/PP
Erect a residential care facility (for 40 residents) with car parking, construct an access roads, and associated landscaping
Corse West (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 17 Feb 2021 - Decided21/070/HH
Extend a house
Sandmar, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney KW17 2QR
Received 18 Feb 2021 - Decided21/071/EB
Simplified Notification to install temporary overhead line
Rackwick Bay, Hoy
Received 18 Feb 2021 - Decided21/072/AMC
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump (following planning permission in principle 20/114/PIP)
Plot 1 Blinkbonny, Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 22 Feb 2021 - Decided21/073/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Former Hatchery, Rackwick, Hoy, KW16 3NJ
Received 22 Feb 2021 - Decided21/074/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and create an access
Upper Nisthouse (Land Near), Germiston Road, Stenness, Orkney
Received 22 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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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