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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided21/490/PP
Erect three polytunnels and shed, install solar panels and associated landscaping
Balfour Hospital, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BH
Received 8 Dec 2021 - Unknown21/491/APN
Erect a GP shed
Georth, Georth Road, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 8 Dec 2021 - Decided21/492/PP
Erect a timber bicycle shelter
Pickaquoy Caravan And Camping Site, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LR
Received 8 Dec 2021 - Decided21/493/PP
Change of use of part of shop (Class 1) to community space (Class 10) and erect a gas compound
Eday Community Enterprises, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 10 Dec 2021 - Decided21/495/MAR
Create salmon farming site comprising of 6 x 160 metre circumference circular cages arranged in a 2 x 3 formation in a 110 metre mooring grid, with pole mounted top nets, underwater lighting, and 600 tonne capacity feed barge
East Moclett, North Sound, Orkney
Received 14 Dec 2021 - Decided21/496/WL
Install a fibre optic cable (21/496/WL)
Heatherhouse, Tankerness To Sandgarth, Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 14 Dec 2021 - Decided21/497/WL
Install a fibre optic cable (21/497/WL)
Crock Ness, Hoy To Airstrip, Flotta, Orkney
Received 15 Dec 2021 - Decided21/498/WL
Install a fibre optic cable (21/498/WL)
Quoy Ness, Flotta To Dam Of Hoxa, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 15 Dec 2021 - Decided21/499/WL
Install a fibre optic cable (21/499/WL)
Cusbay, Eday To Sands Of Helzie, Westray, Orkney
Received 15 Dec 2021 - Decided21/500/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Netherskaill (Land Near), Langskaill Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 15 Dec 2021 - Unknown20/067/NMV/01
Proposed alteration to External Finishes Schedule: Entrance (sloping) roof canopy soffits to be revised from larch boarding to Cedral 'Click' Smooth non-combustible board cladding, colour C51 - Silver Grey
Glaitness Primary School, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RP
Received 17 Dec 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/502/PP
Change of use of domestic outbuilding to studio (Class 4), cafe (Class 3) and amenity facilities and change of use of land to camping and caravan site (part retrospective)
Whistlebrae, Rue Road, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AZ
Received 20 Dec 2021 - Decided21/503/MARCON
Telecommunications cable installations
Various, Orkney
Received 20 Dec 2021 - Withdrawn/Returned21/504/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with a workshop and create two accesses
Starilie (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TQ
Received 21 Dec 2021 - Decided21/505/PP
Reinstate and extend a house
Mucklehouse (Land Near), Sandwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RJ
Received 21 Dec 2021 - Decided21/506/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Verecroft, Linklater Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 21 Dec 2021 - Unknown21/507/APN
Erect a GP shed
Eastside, Durkadale Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JD
Received 17 Dec 2021 - Decided21/508/PP
Install three air source heat pumps (resubmission of 21/461/PP)
The Life Centre, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LX
Received 16 Dec 2021 - Decided21/510/PP
Erect a butchery/meat processing unit
Trebb, Trebb Road, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 22 Dec 2021 - Decided21/511/PP
Erect two houses (one with a detached garage)
Plots 50A & 50B, Breckan Brae, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RR
Received 23 Dec 2021 - Decided21/512/VR
Vary condition 08 (duration of consent) of planning permission 02/189/PPF
Burgar Hill Wind Farm, Evie, Orkney
Received 23 Dec 2021 - Decided21/513/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump, erect a domestic shed and install a borehole
Craigielea (Land Near), Wasbister, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 24 Dec 2021 - Decided21/514/MARCON
Wave energy converter
Deerness, Orkney
Received 22 Dec 2021 - Decided21/515/MARCON
Floating offshore wind farm
Dounreay, Caithness
Received 23 Dec 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
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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.
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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