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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/349/PP
Change of use from former shop (Class 1) to Men's Shed (Class 10)
Recycling Centre (Land Near), Kettletoft, Sanday, Orkney
Received 12 Oct 2020 - Decided20/350/MARCON
Cable protection works
East Of Ayre Of Cara, Orkney
Received 13 Oct 2020 - Decided20/351/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and erect a building for business (Class 6 storage) and agricultural use
Widewall Garage, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TG
Received 13 Oct 2020 - Decided20/352/LB
Replace soil pipe
14 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 13 Oct 2020 - Decided20/353/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to remove a redundant overhead line
Rackwick Bay, Hoy, Orkney
Received 13 Oct 2020 - Decided20/354/PP
Extraction of stone from existing borrow pit (maximum 1000 tonnes)
Townend (Land Near), Westside Road, Eday, Orkney
Received 14 Oct 2020 - Decided20/355/PP
Extraction of stone from existing borrow pit (maximum 1000 tonnes)
Sandybank Turbine (Land Near), Westside Road, Eday, Orkney
Received 14 Oct 2020 - Decided20/356/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and extend a house
Woodwick, Evie, Orkney
Received 14 Oct 2020 - Decided20/357/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect an outbuilding (retrospective)
Stavanger, Inganess Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SR
Received 15 Oct 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/358/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage and outbuilding
Overbister (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 15 Oct 2020 - Decided20/359/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and integral garage, and create an access
Glenavon (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 15 Oct 2020 - Decided20/360/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to 15/522/PP)
Lower Valley, Smoogro Road, Orphir, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2020 - Decided20/361/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access (resubmission of 20/269/PP)
Newcott (Land Near), Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2020 - Decided20/362/TPO
Fell a tree and prune a tree
Burnlea, 13 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 19 Oct 2020 - Decided20/363/TPO
Prune trees
Viewcliffe, Cromwell Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LH
Received 19 Oct 2020 - Unknown18/354/NMV/01
Change of finish to office bay to be wet harled to replace smooth render
Kirkwall Pier, Kirkwall
Received 20 Oct 2020 - Decided20/364/PP
Extend a shop, relocate an air source heat pump and reposition of a septic tank (amendment to 19/213/PP) (part retrospective)
Anchorfast Buildings, Pier Road, Longhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PG
Received 20 Oct 2020 - Decided20/365/HH
Extend a house, create an access and stop-up existing access
Voy Brae, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LW
Received 21 Oct 2020 - Decided20/366/APN
Erect a polycrub for agricultural use
Heima, North Bigging Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2HZ
Received 21 Oct 2020 - Decided20/367/PP
Install 22 lighting wraps and 10 seasonal motif illuminations to 32 existing lighting columns
North End Road, Ferry Road, John Street, Stromness, Orkney
Received 22 Oct 2020 - Decided20/368/PP
Form a door, erect decking and a polycrub
Former Firth School, Finstown, Orkney
Received 26 Oct 2020 - Decided20/369/HH
Erect a polycrub
Greenhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PQ
Received 26 Oct 2020 - Decided20/370/PP
Change of use from self-catering accommodation to a house
Brecklands, Gorseness Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 26 Oct 2020 - Decided20/372/PP
Change of use from shop (Class 1) to shop and hot food takeaway, and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective)
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 27 Oct 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