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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/298/PP
Temporary change of use from quarry to industrial (Class 5) to construct fish farm pens
Loth Quarry, Sanday, Orkney
Received 28 Aug 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/300/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic, extend a house and erect a detached garage
Milldam, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 31 Aug 2020 - Decided20/301/PIP
Siting of four houses
Burnbank (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 31 Aug 2020 - Decided20/302/HH
Extend a house
Brin Novan, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NJ
Received 1 Sept 2020 - Decided20/303/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
21 Damsay View (Plot 13), Finstown, Firth, Orkney
Received 2 Sept 2020 - Unknown20/152/NMV/01
Amendment to windows
Davaar (Land Near), St Marys, Holm, Orkney
Received 2 Sept 2020 - Decided20/304/PIP
Siting of two replacement houses (2 x one for one) and create an access
Dounby Farm, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JE
Received 2 Sept 2020 - Decided20/305/HH
Install an air source heat pump with housing and an electric vehicle charger and erect a shed (part retrospective)
Garquoy, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AJ
Received 4 Sept 2020 - Decided20/306/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to storage (class 6), create hardstanding, erect a shed and fencing and construct earth embankments (part retrospective) (resubmission of 20/153/PP)
East Quoys, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 4 Sept 2020 - Decided20/307/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Plot 2, Orphir Village, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2020 - Decided20/308/PP
Install replacement windows and doors
The Peedie Salon, Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NE
Received 7 Sept 2020 - Decided20/310/LB
Re-roof with Welsh slate, install rooflights and replacement windows and door and internal alterations (retrospective)
Guild Room, Palace, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LX
Received 9 Sept 2020 - Decided20/311/LB
Install an air source heat pump
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 14 Sept 2020 - Decided20/312/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Elwick Mill, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 14 Sept 2020 - Decided20/313/TPPMAJ
Erect 6 wind turbines (maximum height 149.9 metres, maximum wind farm capacity 50MW), erect a meteorological mast (maximum height 90 metres) and a substation, construct access tracks, a water crossing and underground cabling, create a borrow pit, and associated infrastructure
Lyness (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney
Received 14 Sept 2020 - Decided20/314/HH
Re-roof existing garage and paint wall
Muckle Hoose, 59 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 15 Sept 2020 - Decided20/315/PP
Change of use of land from commercial to domestic and erect a garage
Lower Barn, Evie Village, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 15 Sept 2020 - Decided20/316/LB
Core walls to install ventilation outlets
47 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 16 Sept 2020 - Decided20/317/AMC
Erect a house with a detached garage (amendment to 19/326/AMC)
Ploverhall, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 17 Sept 2020 - Decided20/318/PN
Remove microwave dish and install a microwave dish on existing telecommunications tower
Ward Hill, Hoy, Orkney
Received 17 Sept 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/319/PP
Change of use of parking/deliveries area (Class 4 and 10) to food and drink (Class 3) and public house, including installation of fencing, covered seating and toilets, and change of use of public footway to outdoor seating
The Orkney Distillery, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 17 Sept 2020 - Decided20/320/HH
Extend a house
Clickimin, Craigiefield Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UF
Received 18 Sept 2020 - Unknown20/144/NMV/01
Fascia & soffit boards to be changed to grey
Brecklah (Land Near), Swartland Road, Dounby, Orkney
Received 18 Sept 2020 - Decided20/321/PP
Change of use from a house (Class 9) to a guest house (Class 7) and erect a self-catering unit (part retrospective)
Aviedale Cottage, Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2PB
Received 21 Sept 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