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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Unknown19/217/NMV/01
Plots 35-39 external doors colour changed to dark grey. Fibre cement timber effect cladding to dormers to be coloured silver grey. Plot 40 removal of dormers and first floor accomodation. Reposition solar panel to front
Plots 35-40 Breckan Brae (Land Near) St Marys Holm Orkney Islands
Received 30 Nov 2020 - Decided20/422/HH
Extend a house
Rysick, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 2 Dec 2020 - Decided20/423/PP
Install water and drainage pipes (part retrospective)
West Links (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 2 Dec 2020 - Decided20/424/APN
Erect a GP shed
Breck Cottage, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 3 Dec 2020 - Decided20/425/PP
Convert a domestic garage to a self-catering unit and create an access and parking
Glynarde, 1 Quoybanks Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1EJ
Received 3 Dec 2020 - Decided20/426/PIP
Siting of a house (subdivision of curtilage)
The View, Stoneyhill Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JS
Received 7 Dec 2020 - Decided20/427/HH
Erect a domestic shed
Warrenfield, Bignold Park Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PT
Received 7 Dec 2020 - Unknown20/175/NMV/01
Remove dormers, insert windows
Cairn House (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney
Received 4 Dec 2020 - Decided20/428/HH
Install replacement windows
6 Palace Gardens, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PB
Received 8 Dec 2020 - Decided20/429/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one) and create an access (resubmission of 20/327/PIP)
Starilie (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TQ
Received 8 Dec 2020 - Decided20/430/LB
Install replacement Welsh slate, rooflights, rainwater goods, and lime mortar
Sourin Mill, Nethermill Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 9 Dec 2020 - Decided20/431/PP
Install replacement Welsh slate, rooflights, rainwater goods, and lime mortar
Sourin Mill, Nethermill Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 9 Dec 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/432/PIP
Siting of seven houses and alter an access
Upper Quoys (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 10 Dec 2020 - Decided20/433/LB
Re-roof section of roof
Skaill House, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LR
Received 11 Dec 2020 - Decided20/435/HH
Re-roof with Orkney slate and Welsh slate, install rooflights, replacement rainwater goods, new and replacement windows and door, core vents, and lime harl wall (resubmission of 20/259/HH)
6 Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DL
Received 14 Dec 2020 - Decided20/436/LB
Re-roof with Orkney slate and Welsh slate, install rooflights, replacement rainwater goods, new and replacement windows and door, core vents, lime harl wall, and remove all interior structure and fittings and replace (resubmission of 20/260/LB)
6 Ness Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DL
Received 14 Dec 2020 - Decided20/438/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and an integral garage (amendment to 20/049/PP)
Garth, Outertown Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 14 Dec 2020 - Decided20/439/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Pole, Ness Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2TA
Received 14 Dec 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/440/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Newhall (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2HR
Received 14 Dec 2020 - Decided20/441/HH
Extend a house
Dalriada, Moss Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SA
Received 15 Dec 2020 - Decided20/442/HH
Extend a house (part retrospective)
The Old Manse, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NS
Received 15 Dec 2020 - Unknown17/379/NMV/01
Footway to south widened to 1.8m. Dust finish added to section of footway to north of road
Coplands Dock (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 15 Dec 2020 - Decided20/444/PP
Extend a shop to install a deposit and return point, relocate trolley bay and alter car park
Lidl, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 16 Dec 2020 - Decided20/445/PP
Create hard standing and erect a post and wire fence
Site G15, Garson Place, Garson Industrial Estate, Stromness, KW16 3EE
Received 16 Dec 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
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
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