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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided23/002/HH
Extend a house to create an annexe and erect a garage
Nisthouse, Bimbister Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 5 Jan 2023 - Withdrawn/Returned23/003/PP
Erect a campsite amenities building with an air source heat pump and solar panels
Birsay Outdoor Centre And Campsite, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LY
Received 10 Jan 2023 - Decided23/004/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump and detached garage and create an access (amendment to 21/198/PP)
Howe (Land Near), Bloomfield Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SU
Received 10 Jan 2023 - Unknown23/005/PN
Install two replacement dishes and an antenna
Ward Hill Radio Station, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 9 Jan 2023 - Decided23/006/CLEUD
Regularise the use of a premises as a guest house (13 years)
Scapa House, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 11 Jan 2023 - Decided23/007/HH
Erect a garage
Greenhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PQ
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Decided23/009/AD
Display a fascia sign and projecting sign
28 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Decided23/010/PP
Paint shop front, windows and doors
28 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Decided23/011/LB
Install a replacement door, rainwater goods and fascia and internal floor (part retrospective)
Mill Of Tankerness, Tankerness Hall Road, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Decided23/012/CLEUD
Regularise the use of a premises as a self-catering unit
Lower Flat, Old Manse, The Palace, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LX
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Unknown23/014/PN
Install an antennae and GPS node
Wideford Hill, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TY
Received 12 Jan 2023 - Decided23/016/PP
Erect a toilet block, create a car park with electric vehicle chargers, associated landscaping and alter accesses
Market Green, Hillside Road, Dounby, Orkney, KW17 2HT
Received 18 Jan 2023 - Decided23/017/HH
Relocate an air source heat pump with housing
8 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 18 Jan 2023 - Unknown22/117/NMV/01
Addition of reclaimed stone to front gable . Remove centre (former larder) window to front elevation.
Kraften, Outertown, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2023 - Decided23/018/PP
Clad walls, install windows and air source heat pumps
Sanday Community Centre, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BW
Received 23 Jan 2023 - Decided23/019/CLEUD
Regularise the use of a premises as a guest house (Class 7) (22 years)
9 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HP
Received 23 Jan 2023 - Decided23/020/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Howe, Howe Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JU
Received 23 Jan 2023 - Decided23/021/PP
Re-roof and install skews, alter openings, point, harl and clad walls, and install replacement rainwater goods
18 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 23 Jan 2023 - Decided23/022/PP
Erect a house
1 Lynnside, Lynn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SR
Received 24 Jan 2023 - Decided23/023/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Veltigar Farm House, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 24 Jan 2023 - Decided23/024/PP
Install replacement galvanised sheet cladding and door (resubmission of 22/169/PP)
Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 25 Jan 2023 - Decided23/025/PP
Remove signage and ATM and install replacement window (part retrospective)
99 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 25 Jan 2023 - Decided23/013/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic, erect a domestic annexe and a self-catering unit
Marston, Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2BN
Received 20 Jan 2023 - Decided23/026/HH
Extend a garage
Skerravoe, Inganess Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SP
Received 25 Jan 2023
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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Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
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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