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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/329/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (subdivision of curtilage)
Sunnybank Cottage (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 17 Aug 2021 - Unknown21/330/APN
Erect a GP shed
Affrigate, Brims Road, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NZ
Received 17 Aug 2021 - Unknown21/332/MARPN
Relocate an existing feed barge
Bay Of Holland, Stronsay, Orkney
Received 18 Aug 2021 - Decided21/334/PP
Erect an earth walled silo
Suckquoy, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 20 Aug 2021 - Decided21/335/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Seaview, Woodstock Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 20 Aug 2021 - Decided21/336/TC
Prune five mature trees
St Clair House, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 20 Aug 2021 - Decided21/338/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a shed
Orkahaugr, Upper Twatt Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HH
Received 24 Aug 2021 - Decided21/339/PP
Erect a self-catering unit with associated parking (retrospective)
Marston, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 23 Aug 2021 - Decided21/342/PP
Subdivide domestic curtilage including annexe to create a house
Tou Cottage (Land Near), Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 24 Aug 2021 - Decided21/343/PP
Install a replacement water tank and kiosk, create a layby and alter access (amendment to 19/352/PP)
Whitehall Service Reservoir (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 25 Aug 2021 - Decided21/344/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
3 Repeater Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZP
Received 25 Aug 2021 - Decided21/345/PP
Change of use of car park to community events and activities (limited days per year)
18 Bridge Street Car Park, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 25 Aug 2021 - Decided21/346/PP
Demolish a house, erect seven houses with air source heat pumps, associated parking and landscaping and create an access
Oakdene, Cairston Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 26 Aug 2021 - Unknown19/217/NMV/04
Dry dash render, artic white applied to porches to match existing elevations
Plots 35-39 Breckan Brae (Land Near), St Marys, Holm, Orkney Islands
Received 30 Aug 2021 - Unknown21/347/APN
Erect a GP shed
Eastbrae, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HS
Received 30 Aug 2021 - Decided21/348/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
26 Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NG
Received 30 Aug 2021 - Decided21/349/PP
Erect nine houses with integral garages and communal bin store
Errival (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/350/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a garage
Elsker, Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UE
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/351/PP
Re-render, clad porch, re-roof and replace windows and doors
Kingdom Hall, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/352/AD
Display signage
Kingdom Hall, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/353/HH
Extend a house
6B Coplands Drive, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BN
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/354/PP
Re-slate roof, remove chimney stacks and block window opening
11A - 11B Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 1 Sept 2021 - Unknown21/355/APN
Erect a GP shed
Glenrae, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RF
Received 31 Aug 2021 - Decided21/356/WL
Install two replacement subsea electricity cables and associated protection measures
Clestrain Sound And Hoy Sound, Orkney
Received 2 Sept 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