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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/437/PP
Convert a church to a house
Evie Church, Evie Village, Evie, Orkney KW17 2PH
Received 27 Oct 2021 - Decided21/438/LB
Erect a single storey extension
Heathhill House, 6 Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH
Received 27 Oct 2021 - Decided21/439/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (retrospective) and erect a domestic shed
Cairn House (land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 28 Oct 2021 - Decided21/441/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic
Viewfield, Midhouse Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LD
Received 29 Oct 2021 - Decided21/442/HH
Erect a detached garage
Bring Deeps, Buxa Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 1 Nov 2021 - Unknown20/398/NMV/01
Fascia and soffit to be black matching existing house
20 Rope Walk, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1XJ
Received 28 Oct 2021 - Decided21/443/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and integral garage
Geroin (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 1 Nov 2021 - Decided21/444/HH
Extend a domestic outbuilding
Boathouse, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EH
Received 2 Nov 2021 - Decided21/445/PP
Reinstate and extend a house and install an air source heat pump and upgrade an access (resubmission of 21/235/PP)
Campston Cottage (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 3 Nov 2021 - Decided21/446/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached garage
Ballochmyle (Land Near), Deerness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SW
Received 3 Nov 2021 - Decided21/447/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump
Little Arp, Flotta, Orkney
Received 3 Nov 2021 - Decided21/450/HH
Install replacement windows
St Clair House, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 4 Nov 2021 - Decided21/452/PP
Change of use of land and former schoolrooms to domestic and extend
South Schoolhouse, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 4 Nov 2021 - Decided21/453/PP
Temporary change of use of land to outside seating area, including paving and balustrades for (two years) (retrospective)
7 Mounthoolie Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JZ
Received 5 Nov 2021 - Decided21/454/HH
Erect a domestic garage
Baikies Noust, Evie Village, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 8 Nov 2021 - Decided21/457/HH
Re-roof an outbuilding and install a replacement door
Quivals Farm House, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 9 Nov 2021 - Decided21/458/LB
Re-roof an outbuilding and install a replacement door
Quivals Farm House, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BN
Received 9 Nov 2021 - Decided21/459/PP
Change of use from shop (Class 1) to domestic
2 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BZ
Received 10 Nov 2021 - Decided21/460/PP
Change of use of land to domestic, extend a house and convert outbuilding to annexe
South Waird, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 11 Nov 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/461/PP
Install three air source heat pumps
The Life Centre, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX
Received 11 Nov 2021 - Decided21/462/PP
Convert redundant building to a house, install an air source heat pump, alter an access and install a soakaway
Twatt Hall, Twatt, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 12 Nov 2021 - Decided21/463/PP
Erect six houses (cohousing project), and polytunnel, create an access, associated parking and landscaping (amendment to 20/103/PP)
Taftingus Place (Land Near), St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2UD
Received 15 Nov 2021 - Decided21/464/PP
Erect a house (subdivison of curtilage) install an air source heat pump and upgrade an access
Skerravoe, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LR
Received 15 Nov 2021 - Decided21/465/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump (following permission in principle - 20/310/PIP)
Esnaphy (Plot 1) (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 15 Nov 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