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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided20/446/HH
Extend a domestic garage
9 Jubilee Court, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XR
Received 16 Dec 2020 - Decided20/447/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Sorquoy, Kirkhouse Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TJ
Received 17 Dec 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned19/352/NMV/01
Alterations to the physical aspects of the development as approved
Whitehall Service Reservoir (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 16 Dec 2020 - Decided20/448/PP
Reinstate a redundant house and install an air source heat pump and erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (two for one) and upgrade an access
Norton House (Land Near), Northfield Road, Burray, Orkney
Received 17 Dec 2020 - Decided20/449/PP
Demolish existing buildings and fuel pumps, erect a garage for the repair, sale and display of motor vehicles, with an air source heat pump, erect a freestanding vehicle valet building, install an electric vehicle charger, and associated landscaping
2 Castle Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HD
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Decided20/450/HH
Extend a house
Glen Nevis, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RX
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/451/VR
Remove conditions 04 (shooting days and hours) and 05 (shooting exclusion March to April) of planning permission 09/077/PPF
Shooting Range, Ramsdale, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Decided20/452/APN
Erect a GP shed
Craebreck House, Graemeshall Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RX
Received 18 Dec 2020 - Decided20/453/LB
Display a fascia sign
85 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BS
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Decided20/454/PN
Install two dishes, two cabinets and ancillary works
Newark Farm, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Decided20/455/APN
Erect a GP shed
Odiness, Odiness Road, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AG
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Unknown20/070/NMV/01
Removal of angled front and porch. Change external finishes, walls - Larch to corrugated sheeting (black), roof - box profile to corrugated (black), windows & door rosewood to uPVC (Black)
Brekkaby (Land To The East Of), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 21 Dec 2020 - Decided20/457/PP
Demolish a house and erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Marlie, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TW
Received 22 Dec 2020 - Decided20/458/PP
Remove trees, install sewer pipe and associated landscaping (retrospective)
Stromness Millennium Woodland/Cairston Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 22 Dec 2020 - Decided20/459/APN
Erect a GP shed
1 Lower Cottisgarth, Cottisgarth Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 23 Dec 2020 - Withdrawn/Returned20/460/PP
Change of use of part of house to create self-catering unit
Nord View, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 22 Dec 2020 - Decided20/461/PP
Erect a store
W I Rendall General Grocers, Howanbreck Footpaths, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DH
Received 23 Dec 2020 - Decided20/462/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Dyke-End, Dyke-end Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SF
Received 24 Dec 2020 - Decided20/463/HH
Extend a house
10 Clumly Avenue, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1YU
Received 24 Dec 2020 - Decided21/001/HH
Extend a house
Seaview, Burness Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ET
Received 4 Jan 2021 - Decided21/002/PP
Change of use of land to domestic, extend a house, erect a garage and greenhouse and install an air source heat pump and solar panels
Newcott, Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LB
Received 5 Jan 2021 - Decided21/003/PIP
Siting of a house
Nearhouse (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 6 Jan 2021 - Decided21/004/HH
Replace roof covering and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective)
Kevock, The Keelies, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GA
Received 6 Jan 2021 - Decided21/005/PP
Convert existing building to 2 houses, erect a terrace of 3 houses and a five storey block of 9 flats, relocate access, and associated infrastructure and hard and soft landscaping
Ayre House, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 6 Jan 2021
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
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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