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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/357/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Verdun (Land Near), Dounby, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HN
Received 2 Sept 2021 - Decided21/359/HH
Extend a house
Shelligoe, 9 Garson Drive, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JG
Received 6 Sept 2021 - Unknown21/065/NMV/01
Change of colour of windows, doors, fascia and soffit from light grey to black
Kerlin (Plot 4) (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 2 Sept 2021 - Decided21/360/PP
Erect a vehicle repair garage and associated parking and alter an access (retrospective)
Dunedin, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 7 Sept 2021 - Decided21/361/HH
Extend a house
Holladene, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PY
Received 7 Sept 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/362/PIP
Siting of two houses
Trenabie Mill (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 7 Sept 2021 - Decided21/363/LB
Internal alterations including replacement staircase
6 Melvin Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DD
Received 8 Sept 2021 - Decided21/364/HH
Extend a house, install replacement chimney stacks, paint walls, relocate windows and erect a boundary wall
Ferndale, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 8 Sept 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/365/PP
Erect an electrolyser
Sandybank (Land Near), Westside Road, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 8 Sept 2021 - Decided21/367/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 19/162/PIP) (resubmission of 21/035/AMC)
Scarvataing (Land Near), Groatsetter Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 9 Sept 2021 - Decided21/368/PP
Install an underground fibre optic cable
Scuthvie Bay (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 10 Sept 2021 - Decided21/369/PP
Erect three glamping pods with communal foul drainage system and access and associated landscaping
Inganess Cottage (Land Near), Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 13 Sept 2021 - Decided21/370/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a garage
5 Broughton (Land Near), Broughton Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DA
Received 13 Sept 2021 - Unknown21/371/PN
Install a 30m lattice telecommunications tower with six antennae, two transmission dishes, satellite dish, generator, cabinets, compound fencing and upgrade an access
Stronsay BT Exchange (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 14 Sept 2021 - Decided21/372/HH
Extend a house
Maraquoy, Howe Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JU
Received 14 Sept 2021 - Decided21/373/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and integral garage and convert a redundant building to a self-catering unit (one for one) (resubmission of 21/187/PP)
Nap, Hillfield Road, Burray, Orkney,
Received 15 Sept 2021 - Decided21/374/PP
Convert a redundant building to a house, extend and create an access
Bow Of Linklater (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 15 Sept 2021 - Decided21/375/PP
Erect two replacement houses (one for one) with air source heat pumps and create an access
Dounby Farm, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JE
Received 15 Sept 2021 - Unknown20/103/NMV/01
Simplification of roof form and removal of enclosed social corridor along front of building
Taftingus Place (Land Near), St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2UD
Received 16 Sept 2021 - Decided21/376/HH
Extend a house
Eau Rouge, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 16 Sept 2021 - Decided21/377/PP
Convert a former store (Class 6) to an office (Class 2), extend, re-roof, clad and render walls, install replacement windows and doors and air source heat pumps
42 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG
Received 16 Sept 2021 - Decided21/378/HH
Replace roof covering
Olad, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RL
Received 17 Sept 2021 - Decided21/382/PN
Install underground apparatus duct with joint boxes and cabinet
Flotta Airfield (Land Near), Flotta, Orkney
Received 16 Sept 2021 - Decided21/383/PN
Install underground apparatus duct with joint boxes and cabinet
Towerhouse Farm (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney
Received 16 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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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