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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/119/HH
Extend a house
Swanbister House, Gyre Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 23 Mar 2021 - Decided21/120/LB
Demolish existing extensions and extend a house
Swanbister House, Gyre Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 23 Mar 2021 - Decided21/121/MARCON
Cable protection works
East Of Ayre Of Cara, Orkney
Received 23 Mar 2021 - Decided21/122/HH
Erect a greenhouse/shed
Allotment Garden (detached From 102 Victoria Street), Church Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 30 Mar 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/123/AMC
Erect a house with a detached garage and an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 19/162/PIP) (amendment to 21/035/AMC)
Scarvataing, Groatsetter Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 30 Mar 2021 - Unknown19/345/NMV/01
Change of roof to sinusoidal profile sheet, addition of roof mounted solar panels and alteration of windows
Sunnybraes (Land Near), Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 30 Mar 2021 - Decided21/124/APN
Erect a GP shed
Woodside, Woodside Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 31 Mar 2021 - Decided21/125/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (one for one) and reinstate a redundant outbuilding (following permission in principle 17/112/PIP)
Plot 1 Boondatoon, Tankerness, Orkney
Received 31 Mar 2021 - Decided21/126/MARCON
Undertake the deposit of a marine farm at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs
Mill Bay, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 30 Mar 2021 - Decided21/128/PP
Erect two storage sheds (Class 6) and create hardstanding
The Orcadian (Land Near), Hell's Half Acre, Crowness Crescent, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GJ
Received 1 Apr 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/129/PIP
Siting of a house for a farm worker
Diamonds Farm, Stove Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 1 Apr 2021 - Decided21/131/HH
Extend a house
39 Eunson Kloss, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BF
Received 2 Apr 2021 - Decided21/132/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one), install an air source heat pump and reinstate redundant outbuilding
Lower Garthsetter, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 2 Apr 2021 - Unknown21/004/NMV/01
Change from cedre shingle tiles to blue/black fibre cement tiles
Kevock, The Keelies, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GA
Received 2 Apr 2021 - Decided21/133/MARCON
Cable works
Eday To Westray/Eday To Sanday
Received 1 Apr 2021 - Decided21/134/PP
Install a surface water soakaway
Lynnfield Hotel, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SU
Received 5 Apr 2021 - Decided21/135/MARCON
Undertake deposit of an algal farm
Bay Of Holland, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 6 Apr 2021 - Decided21/136/MARCON
Undertake deposit of an algal farm
Mill Bay, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 6 Apr 2021 - Decided21/137/HH
Extend a house
Ukuzwana, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 7 Apr 2021 - Decided21/138/HH
Extend a house
Sketquoy, Wasbister Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 7 Apr 2021 - Decided21/139/HH
Extend a house
6 Reid Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UD
Received 8 Apr 2021 - Decided21/140/PP
Erect a 12m lattice telecommunications tower with antennae and associated cabinet
Gallow Tuag Quarry (Land Near), Sandside Road, Hoy, Orkney
Received 8 Apr 2021 - Decided21/141/LB
Remove rotten floorboards, repair joist ends, re-point internal walls, and temporary relocation of mill equipment, floor covering and grain hoist cladding
Sourin Mill, Nethermill Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 8 Apr 2021 - Decided21/142/PIP
Siting of two replacement houses (2 x one for one) and create an access (resubmission of 20/304/PIP)
Dounby Farm, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JE
Received 8 Apr 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
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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