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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/399/HH
Extend a house (amendment to 18/506/HH)
Bigging, Beaquoy Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 16 Nov 2020 - Decided20/400/PP
Change of use from storage yard to self-service storage container site
Orkney Aggregates Ltd, Sparrowhawk Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, KW15 1GE
Received 16 Nov 2020 - Decided20/401/HH
Extend a house
Netherfiold, Aikerness Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DN
Received 16 Nov 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/402/PA
Class 29 prior approval to erect a ferry waiting room and toilets
Gibraltar Pier, Flotta, Orkney
Received 16 Nov 2020 - Decided20/403/PIP
Siting of a house
Makerhouse (Land Near), Dounby, Orkney
Received 18 Nov 2020 - Decided20/404/HH
Erect a garage
Westbank, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 18 Nov 2020 - Decided20/405/LB
Display signage and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective)
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 18 Nov 2020 - Decided20/407/VR
Vary condition 01 (temporary period) of planning permission 15/444/PP
Moan (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 18 Nov 2020 - Decided20/408/HH
Extend a house, create an access and stop-up existing access
Bank House, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX
Received 17 Nov 2020 - Decided20/409/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Garson, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 23 Nov 2020 - Decided20/410/APN
Erect a GP shed
Newbigging, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 23 Nov 2020 - Decided20/411/LB
Install flagstone carved with logo
St Magnus Cathedral, Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 23 Nov 2020 - Decided20/412/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Klahanie (Land Near), Springfield Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 24 Nov 2020 - Decided20/413/HH
Erect a greenhouse and a wall
Trondra, Hammar Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2HF
Received 24 Nov 2020 - Decided20/414/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump (subdivision of curtilage) (amendment to 20/136/PP)
Mugar, Sandwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RJ
Received 25 Nov 2020 - Decided20/415/PP
Install an air source heat pump and form a doorway
Linkshouse, Linkshouse Road, The Palace, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LX
Received 25 Nov 2020 - Decided20/416/HH
Install roof vents and replacement windows and doors, and alter rainwater goods
Bellevue, 15 George Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PP
Received 27 Nov 2020 - Decided20/417/TC
Prune six trees and fell four trees
Rognvalsey, 4 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 27 Nov 2020 - Decided20/418/PP
Change of use of parking/deliveries area (Class 4 and 10) to outdoor seating, including installation of fencing, covered seating and toilets, change of use of public footway to outdoor seating, and change of use of all outdoor seating and existing reception and exhibition space (Class 10) to public house (amendment to 20/319/PP)
The Orkney Distillery, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 27 Nov 2020 - Decided20/419/APN
Erect a GP shed
1 Lower Cornquoy, Cornquoy Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 27 Nov 2020 - Decided20/420/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and a shed
Craigielea (Land Near), Wasbister, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 30 Nov 2020 - Decided20/421/LB
Alter paving and steps at west entrance, and install handrails (amendment to 20/004/LB)
St Magnus Cathedral, Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 30 Nov 2020 - Unknown20/248/NMV/01
Reduced length of building and reduced area of glazing on East elevation
Site 2 Boondatoon, Rerwick Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 27 Nov 2020 - Unknown19/259/NMV/01
Roof canopies above front entrances omitted
The Crafty, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RJ
Received 30 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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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