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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided22/131/HH
Extend a house
Kirraquoy, Nearhouse Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 31 Mar 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/132/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one)
Nistaben Cottage (Land Near), Grimeston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 31 Mar 2022 - Decided22/133/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with a detached garage and an air source heat pump
Erin, Bigswell Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LA
Received 1 Apr 2022 - Decided22/134/MARCON
Request for scoping opinion for proposed section 36 and marine licence applications
West Of Hoy, Orkney
Received 1 Apr 2022 - Decided22/135/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (subdivision of curtilage) and alter an access
Kelda Ber, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 6 Apr 2022 - Decided22/137/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
West Burnside, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QX
Received 6 Apr 2022 - Decided22/138/LB
Install a plaque
St Magnus Cathedral, Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 8 Apr 2022 - Decided22/139/PP
Install an air source heat pump
14 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 11 Apr 2022 - Unknown21/074/NMV/01
Altered windows on gable walls as highlighted on elevations.
Upper Nisthouse (Land Near), Germiston Road, Stenness, Orkney
Received 4 Apr 2022 - Decided22/140/HH
Extend a house
Waulkmill, Buttquoy Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QH
Received 8 Apr 2022 - Decided22/141/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Plot 2, Church Road, St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SR
Received 12 Apr 2022 - Unknown15/166/NMV/01
Amendments to windows and erect a fence
Springfield Cottage (Land Near), Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AW
Received 11 Apr 2022 - Decided22/142/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic, extend a house, erect a detached garage and create an access
Roadside, Smoogro Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 13 Apr 2022 - Decided22/143/PP
Reinstate and extend a house, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Holodyke (Land Near), North Bigging Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2HZ
Received 14 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/145/MARCON
Marine licence has been requested under the above Act to undertake the construction of a Marine Farm at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs
Chalmers Hope, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2022 - Decided22/146/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Dalrhua (Land Near), Downies Lane, Stromness, Okney
Received 18 Apr 2022 - Decided22/149/LB
Remove roofing sheets and install replacement galvanised sheet cladding and a replacement galvanised door
Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 18 Apr 2022 - Decided22/150/PP
Change of use of land to domestic and erect a garage
Glengairn, Lady, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BW
Received 18 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/151/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Shore Side, Greenfield, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 19 Apr 2022 - Decided22/152/PP
Change of use from a store/workshop (Class 4) to exhibition space (Class 10), and install rooflights and replacement doors
Rousay Pier Store, Rousay, Orkney
Received 20 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/154/PP
Erect a 6.7m lattice telecommunications tower with generator, shed and fence
Backaland (Land Near), Eday, Orkney
Received 21 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/155/PP
Convert an office (part of) (Class 2) to a house, install an air source heat pump and a window barrier and paint windows and doors
23 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 25 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/156/LB
Install an air source heat pump and a window barrier, paint windows and doors, install internal secondary glazing, line walls and other internal alterations
23 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 25 Apr 2022 - Decided22/157/PP
Convert a redundant building to a house with air source heat pump, erect three replacement houses with air source heat pumps and reinstate redundant building as an outbuilding (2 x one for one, 1 x two for one) (resubmission of 22/025/PP)
Downatown, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JH
Received 25 Apr 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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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