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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided22/022/PP
Change of use of shed to domestic and extend (part retrospective) and create two unserviced motorhome parking bays
Bellona, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 24 Jan 2022 - Decided22/023/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Brookfield (Plot 2) (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2NZ
Received 24 Jan 2022 - Decided22/024/LB
Install a replacement timber flue
Kirbuster Museum, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LR
Received 24 Jan 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/025/PP
Convert a redundant building to a house, erect three replacement houses and reinstate redundant building as an outbuilding (2 x one for one, 1 x two for one)
Downatown, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 25 Jan 2022 - Decided22/027/HH
Extend a house and erect a garage
Castle Howe, Sower Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 26 Jan 2022 - Decided22/028/PN
Install three GPS nodes
Wideford Hill, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 21 Jan 2022 - Decided22/029/HH
Extend a house
Millhouse, Windwick Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 28 Jan 2022 - Decided22/031/HH
Erect a garage
New Reekie, Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UE
Received 31 Jan 2022 - Decided22/032/PP
Extend a shop and erect a cycle storage shed (Class 1)
Sanday Community Shop, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BW
Received 31 Jan 2022 - Decided22/033/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to install fibre optic cables
Various Locations Throughout Orkney
Received 28 Jan 2022 - Decided22/034/PP
Install a portable waste management unit
The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NZ
Received 31 Jan 2022 - Decided22/035/HH
Extend a house and erect a garage
Dunromin, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RT
Received 31 Jan 2022 - Decided22/037/HH
Extend a house
Mill Spring, Newark Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QP
Received 1 Feb 2022 - Decided22/039/HH
Extend a house, install air source heat pump and relocate septic tank
Brettobreck, Lyking Road, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2HA
Received 3 Feb 2022 - Decided22/041/REG62
Regulation 62 application to carry out development granted by a general development order, to install/retain a temporary overhead line
Rackwick, Hoy, Orkney
Received 3 Feb 2022 - Decided22/042/PP
Upgrade an access and track
Hamarfiold, Westside Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PS
Received 8 Feb 2022 - Decided22/043/PP
Convert redundant buildings to a house, alter and extend, incorporating change of use of self-catering unit and agricultural shed to domestic
Gerraquoy, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 4 Feb 2022 - Decided22/044/PP
Extend a distillery (Class 5), including change of use of existing building from Classes 4 and 6
V S Distillers Ltd Lamb Holm Holm Orkney Islands KW17 2SF
Received 8 Feb 2022 - Decided22/045/PN
Install telecommunications apparatus
North Ronaldsay Mast, North Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 8 Feb 2022 - Decided22/046/PP
Create a carpark and install an access ramp, including stone faced retaining walls (amendment to part of 20/194/PP)
St Olaf Cemetery, Orquil Road, St Ola, KW15 1SA
Received 8 Feb 2022 - Decided22/047/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Eastra (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney KW16 3HS.
Received 9 Feb 2022 - Decided22/048/PP
Erect a self-catering pod with associated landscaping
Lochend, Stenness Village, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3JY
Received 9 Feb 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/049/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access
Lonnie (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 10 Feb 2022 - Decided22/050/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Stank, Heatherybraes Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JP
Received 10 Feb 2022
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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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