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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/373/PP
Erect a domestic workshop (amendment to 19/345/PP) including a roof-mounted flagpole
Sunnybraes (Land Near), Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 28 Oct 2020 - Decided20/374/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Rowland (Land Near), Cleat Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 29 Oct 2020 - Decided20/375/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and a communal foul drainage system
Towerhill (Plot 1), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1QU
Received 29 Oct 2020 - Decided20/376/PP
Extend brewery and visitor centre
The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LT
Received 29 Oct 2020 - Decided20/377/HH
Erect a garage
Belvedere, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 30 Oct 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/378/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a domestic shed
Old Schoolhouse, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 2 Nov 2020 - Decided20/379/TPO
Prune four trees
9 Cromwell Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LH
Received 2 Nov 2020 - Decided20/380/TC
Prune two semi-mature trees
The Willows, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 2 Nov 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/381/PP
Reinstate and extend a house, install an air source heat pump and temporary siting of a caravan
Fursbreck, Harray, Orkney
Received 2 Nov 2020 - Decided20/382/TC
Fell a semi-mature tree and pruning works to five trees
2 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 3 Nov 2020 - Decided20/384/MARPN
Reposition feed barge and amend top net supports and mesh size
Mill Bay, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 4 Nov 2020 - Decided20/385/PP
Extend a cemetery, create an access, erect boundary walls and associated landscaping
Finstown Cemetery, Finstown, Orkney
Received 4 Nov 2020 - Decided20/386/PP
Convert outbuilding to a self-catering unit
Sunnybank, 17 Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH
Received 4 Nov 2020 - Decided20/387/LB
Re-roof with stone slates, alter window and door openings, install replacement windows and door and rainwater goods and internal alterations
Sunnybank, 17 Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH
Received 4 Nov 2020 - Decided20/388/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a garage
Heatherdale, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HG
Received 4 Nov 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/389/PP
Convert redundant building to a house, install an air source heat pump and alter an access
Twatt Hall, Twatt, Orkney
Received 5 Nov 2020 - Decided20/390/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Mount Pleasant (Land Near), Rapness, Westray, Orkney
Received 6 Nov 2020 - Decided20/391/PP
Change of use from guesthouse (Class 7) to a house and two self-catering units
Polrudden Guest House, Peerie Sea Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UH
Received 10 Nov 2020 - Decided20/392/HH
Install replacement timber windows
Hopedale, 9 Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DL
Received 10 Nov 2020 - Decided20/393/HH
Extend a house
Hullion, Hullion Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 10 Nov 2020 - Decided20/395/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Turnpike, Biggings Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 12 Nov 2020 - Decided20/396/PP
Erect house with an integral garage and an air source heat at pump (amendment to 19/094/PP)
Farewell (Land Near), St Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Received 13 Nov 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/397/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Farrivald, Noup Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DW
Received 16 Nov 2020 - Decided20/398/HH
Extend a house
20 Rope Walk, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XJ
Received 16 Nov 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