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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/198/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and detached garage and create an access (amendment to 10/644/PP)
Howe (Land Near), Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SU
Received 4 May 2021 - Decided21/199/PP
Alterations to public park, including deculverting of burn, alteration to ground levels, footpaths and bridges and alterations to car park
Papdale East Play Park, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 4 May 2021 - Decided21/200/HH
Install an air source heat pump with housing (retrospective)
The Toon Hoose, 11A King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF
Received 4 May 2021 - Decided21/202/PIP
Siting of a replacement house, convert a redundant building to a house (two for one), upgrade an access and create an access
Midhouse (Land Near), Mirbister, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2HZ
Received 6 May 2021 - Decided21/203/HH
Install an air source heat pump with housing
1 - 2 Garden Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JA
Received 6 May 2021 - Decided21/204/HH
Erect a shed
Donmar, Gyre Road, Orphir Village, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 6 May 2021 - Decided21/205/PP
Change of use from workshop to workshop (Class 4) and shop (Class 1), re-clad walls, install windows and doors and two air source heat pumps (part retrospective)
A Tait And Sons, Dounby, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HT
Received 6 May 2021 - Decided21/206/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a domestic shed
Flaws, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/207/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and upgrade an access
Gara (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/208/HH
Extend a house
Berriedale, Old Finstown Road, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EJ
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/209/LB
Erect a glazed canopy
Ayre Hotel, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QX
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/210/PP
Erect a glazed canopy
Ayre Hotel, Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QX
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/211/HH
Extend a house, install an air source heat pump and erect a garage
Da'Roch, 36 Royal Oak Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RF
Received 10 May 2021 - Unknown21/213/APN
Erect a GP shed
Millburn Farm, Lyde Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LA
Received 10 May 2021 - Decided21/214/PP
Construct a service chamber in road verge
Parkhouse (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 11 May 2021 - Decided21/215/PP
Construct a service chamber in road verge
South Cara (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 11 May 2021 - Decided21/217/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an integral garage, detached garage and an air source heat pump (amendment to 20/125/PP)
Bea (Land Near), Ballarat Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 13 May 2021 - Decided21/218/LB
Install an air source heat pump with housing
65 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 13 May 2021 - Decided21/219/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Gara (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 18 May 2021 - Unknown19/260/NMV/01
Roof and wall cladding changed to dark profiled composite sheeting
Bayview (Land Near), Gill Pier Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DL
Received 11 May 2021 - Decided21/220/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump (amendment to 11/460/PP)
Norrhavn (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RB
Received 19 May 2021 - Unknown21/221/APN
Erect a GP shed
Lower Bigging, Hackland Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EY
Received 21 May 2021 - Decided21/223/HH
Extend a house
Wasdale, Courquoy Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 21 May 2021 - Decided21/224/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (resubmission of 21/078/PP)
Hunclett, (Land Near) Rousay Orkney KW17 2PT
Received 21 May 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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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