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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/143/PP
Install replacement windows, doors and external cladding
Wolstenholme, Crowness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1RG
Received 9 Apr 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/144/PIP
Siting of a house
Strangquoy (Land Near), Hegglie Ber Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/145/HH
Erect a detached garage, summer house and fence (part retrospective)
Glen Rossie, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RX
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/146/PP
Erect a plant room and install boreholes (retrospective)
Sanday Junior High School And Swimming Pool, Sanday, Orkney
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/147/PP
Convert redundant building to a house, install an air source heat pump, alter an access and install a soakaway (resubmission of 20/389/PP)
Twatt Hall, Twatt, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/148/MARCON
Undertake the deposit of a marine farm at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs
Wyre, Gairsay Sound, Orkney
Received 9 Mar 2021 - Decided21/149/S36CON
Extend the period of the commencement of the development (Condition 2 of the section 36 Consent), from five years from the date the consent was granted until 15 March 2025, this will be an additional three years.
6km Offshore Dounreay, Caithness
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/150/PP
Alter access and parking
Tesco, 18 Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/152/PP
Erect a 12m telecommunications lattice tower with antennae and cabinet
Clestrain (Land Near), Papa Westray, Orkney
Received 13 Apr 2021 - Decided21/153/PP
Extend a house, convert a redundant building to a self-catering unit and create an access
Kimbland, Central Road, Papa Westray, Orkney, KW17 2BU
Received 12 Apr 2021 - Decided21/154/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump (one for one) (following permission in principle 18/209/PIP)
Minora, Harray, Orkney,
Received 14 Apr 2021 - Decided21/155/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Howe Cottage, Howe Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JU
Received 14 Apr 2021 - Decided21/156/AMC
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle 20/200/PIP)
Nether Hammer, Greeny Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HR
Received 15 Apr 2021 - Decided21/158/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and extend a house
Heathervale, Littlequoy Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SX
Received 16 Apr 2021 - Unknown21/159/SCO
Scoping opinion request to extend a pier, and reclaim land to create a mixed use laydown and operational area with access road
Hatston Pier, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 16 Apr 2021 - Unknown21/160/SCO
Scoping opinion request to excavate hillside and reclaim land to create a laydown area, construct a deep water pier and an access road
Bay Of Deepdale, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 16 Apr 2021 - Decided21/161/PP
Change of use from agriculture to micro brewery (Class 4) and public house
Balfour Mains, Sandyhill Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 19 Apr 2021 - Decided21/162/HH
Install an air source heat pump
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 19 Apr 2021 - Decided21/163/HH
Re-roof and alter a house
Alma Cottage, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AY
Received 19 Apr 2021 - Decided21/164/PP
Convert offices (Class 2) to two flats, alter and install replacement windows and doors, render walls and install two air source heat pumps
6 Bridge Street Wynd, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JD
Received 20 Apr 2021 - Decided21/165/PP
Extend a shed
MLM Engineering, Kirbister Garage, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RA
Received 20 Apr 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/167/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access
The Willows (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NY
Received 21 Apr 2021 - Unknown21/168/APN
Erect a GP shed and access track
Sunnybank, Sandwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RJ
Received 22 Apr 2021 - Decided21/169/PP
Erect a 12m lattice telecommunications tower with antennae
Papa Westray Community Ambulance Station, Papa Westray, Orkney
Received 22 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