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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/409/PP
Change of use of land to domestic, extend a house and erect a domestic outbuilding
Stoneyhill, Westshore Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2ST
Received 30 Sept 2021 - Decided21/410/MAR
Create salmon farming site comprising of 12 x 120 metre circumference circular cages arranged in a 2 x 6 formation in an 80 metre mooring grid, with pole mounted top nets, underwater lighting, and 420 tonne capacity semi-automated feed barge (replacement of existing equipment)
Toyness Fish Farm, Orphir, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 1 Oct 2021 - Decided21/411/MAR
Create salmon farming site comprising of 12 x 120 metre circumference circular cages arranged in a 2 x 6 formation in a 70 metre mooring grid, with pole mounted top nets, underwater lighting, and 420 tonne capacity semi-automated feed barge (replacement of existing equipment)
Bring Head Fish Farm, Hoy, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 4 Oct 2021 - Decided21/412/LB
Install an internal partition and doors
8 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 4 Oct 2021 - Decided21/414/PP
Erect two houses with air source heat pumps and alter an access (amendment to 20/246/PP)
Plots 5A & 5B, Eastbrae, Stromness, KW16 3HS
Received 6 Oct 2021 - Decided21/341/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to install two poles and overhead line, remove six existing poles, install two marker beacons and two underground cables
Lythe (Land Near), Quoyness Road, Hoy, Orkney
Received 6 Oct 2021 - Decided21/416/VR
Section 42 application to vary conditions of planning permission 16/580/TPPMAJ
Costa�Head (Land Near), Swannay, Orkney�
Received 6 Oct 2021 - Decided21/417/VR
Section 42 application to vary conditions of planning permission 17/083/TPPMAJ
Hesta Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 6 Oct 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/418/PP
Change of use of land from agriculture to domestic and erect a domestic shed
Giord, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 6 Oct 2021 - Unknown20/303/NMV/01
Additional roof light to south. Relocation of windows and doors. Amendment to glazing patterns
21 Damsay View (Plot 13), Finstown, Firth, Orkney
Received 4 Oct 2021 - Decided21/420/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and alter an access (resubmission of 21/289/PP)
Rose Cottage (Land Near), Dounby, Orkney
Received 12 Oct 2021 - Decided21/421/PP
Erect an agricultural shed (resubmission of 21/324/PP)
Grindally (Land Near), Brinian Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 13 Oct 2021 - Decided21/423/PIP
Siting of a house
The Willows (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NY
Received 14 Oct 2021 - Decided21/425/PP
Convert a redundant school to a house
School, School Road, Graemsay, Orkney, KW16 3NG
Received 18 Oct 2021 - Decided21/427/AD
Display signage (retrospective)
Showroom & Offices, Garrison Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/428/PP
Change of use from car showroom and offices (part of) to music teaching rooms (Class 10), install an air source heat pump, staircase and doors and paint walls (part retrospective)
Showroom & Offices, Garrison Road, Hatston, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Oct 2021 - Decided21/429/PP
Reinstate and extend a house (part amendment to 19/345/PP)
Sunnybraes (Land Near), Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 19 Oct 2021 - Decided21/430/PP
Change of use of land from domestic to agriculture and erect an agricultural shed (resubmission of 21/303/PP)
Daisy Cottage, Brinian Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 20 Oct 2021 - Decided21/431/PP
Extend a slatted court
Breckbesouth, Community Centre Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 22 Oct 2021 - Decided21/432/LB
Install a roof, skyllights, rainwater goods, windows and doors and reinstate interior (retrospective)
63 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 25 Oct 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/433/PP
Erect a storage shed (Class 6)
Oaklea (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 25 Oct 2021 - Decided21/434/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Ocean View, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 26 Oct 2021 - Decided21/435/MARCON
Install two cables
Orkney To Hoy North And Central, Orkney
Received 26 Oct 2021 - Decided21/436/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Drunton (Land Near), Russland Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LE
Received 27 Oct 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
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
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