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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/304/HH
Extend a house
Waascott, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HA
Received 27 Jul 2021 - Decided21/305/PP
Temporary change of use of part of abattoir (Class 5) to offices and storage (Classes 6 and 4)(part retrospective)
Abattoir, Grainshore Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1FL
Received 27 Jul 2021 - Decided21/306/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Hamarfiold, Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 29 Jul 2021 - Decided21/307/PP
Erect a house (amendment to part of 10/385/PP)
Breckan Brae (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 30 Jul 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/308/PP
Erect a house and erect a house with a detached garage (amendment to 21/045/PP)
Plots 50A & 50B, Breckan Brae, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RR
Received 30 Jul 2021 - Decided21/310/PIP
Siting of two houses and upgrade an access
Esnaphy (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 2 Aug 2021 - Decided21/311/PP
Reinstate and extend a house and create an access
Thorness, Sanday, Orkney. KW17 2AZ
Received 2 Aug 2021 - Decided21/312/PN
Install 3 antennae, 2 dishes, 3 cabinets and ancillary works
Upper Stove, Stove Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 30 Jul 2021 - Unknown19/131/NMV/01
Alter windows in north west elevation
Kinsarvik, The Keelies, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1GA
Received 2 Aug 2021 - Decided21/313/LB
Demolish extension, erect a conservatory and install replacement door and windows in outbuilding
Braebuster House, Braebuster Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 3 Aug 2021 - Decided21/314/HH
Extend a house and alter an outbuilding
Braebuster House, Braebuster Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 3 Aug 2021 - Decided21/315/HH
Extend a house
Braeside, Woodwick Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2HD
Received 4 Aug 2021 - Decided21/316/HH
Extend a house
Clook, Clook Road, Innertown, Stromness
Received 9 Aug 2021 - Decided21/317/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Holland, Work Road, St Ola, Orkney, W15 1TB
Received 9 Aug 2021 - Decided21/319/LB
Form an opening in boundary wall
Heathhill House, 6 Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH
Received 9 Aug 2021 - Decided21/320/PIP
Siting of a house (resubmission of 21/144/PIP)
Strangquoy (Land Near), Hegglie Ber Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 9 Aug 2021 - Decided21/321/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and install an air source heat pump
9 Viewfield Drive (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RB
Received 11 Aug 2021 - Decided21/322/HH
Extend a house
Keldabreck, Rerwick Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 11 Aug 2021 - Decided21/323/HH
Extend a house
Ventana, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 12 Aug 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/324/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Grindally (Land Near), Brinian Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 13 Aug 2021 - Decided21/325/HH
Extend a house
Little Millhouse, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 10 Aug 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/326/HH
Extend a house and install replacement windows and door (part retrospective)
63 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 16 Aug 2021 - Decided21/327/PP
Temporary change of use from quarry to industrial (Class 5) to construct fish farm pens
Loth Quarry, Sanday, Orkney
Received 13 Aug 2021 - Decided21/328/TPO
Prune two trees
Balmore, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EQ
Received 16 Aug 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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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