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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided22/158/HH
Install an air source heat pump
Burnbank, Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HR
Received 27 Apr 2022 - Unknown21/198/NMV/01
Change of external wall finish from Silicon Render to Horizontal FC Cladding (Black). Change to Velux Rooflight Specification.Additional Window added to Garage.
Howe (Land Near), Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SU
Received 26 Apr 2022 - Decided22/160/PP
Install solar panels
Peedie Kirk, Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PA
Received 28 Apr 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/161/PP
Extend a workshop (Class 5)
The Smiddy, Newgarth, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 29 Apr 2022 - Decided22/162/HH
Extend a house
2 Yorston Drive, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3ER
Received 29 Apr 2022 - Decided22/163/PP
Erect an agricultural shed
Georth, Georth Road, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 29 Apr 2022 - Decided22/164/PP
Install lead capping at entrance and replacement rainwater goods
12 - 14 Queen Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JE
Received 3 May 2022 - Decided22/165/PP
Erect two houses with air source heat pumps
Souley Cottage (Plot 9 & 10) (Land Near), Orphir Village, Orphir, Orkney
Received 4 May 2022 - Decided22/166/PP
Install two benches
Kirkwall War Memorial, Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney,
Received 4 May 2022 - Decided22/167/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
2 Repeater Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZP
Received 4 May 2022 - Decided22/168/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and extend a house
Stangalee, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 6 May 2022 - Decided22/169/PP
Install replacement galvanised sheet cladding and door
Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 6 May 2022 - Decided22/170/HH
Extend a house
Old Bank House, Front Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SL
Received 9 May 2022 - Decided22/171/PN
Install a rising sewer main
Peerie Sea, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 6 May 2022 - Unknown19/200/NMV/01
Removal of Skews. Addition of second Flue (and W.B. Stove). Minor amendment to height or Windows at Kitchen sink andUtility. Change of Window/Door colour. Change of Windows/Doors from Composite to UPVc. Minor relocation of Solar Panels
Muckle Twinness (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 5 May 2022 - Decided22/172/HH
Extend a house
Queena, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NS
Received 6 May 2022 - Decided22/173/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump, reinstate redundant building as an outbuilding, construct a shed and upgrade an access (part retrospective) (resubmission of 21/489/PP)
West Mill House (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JD
Received 10 May 2022 - Decided22/174/LB
Install an air source heat pump and two windows (retrospective)
Little Quildon, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DU
Received 10 May 2022 - Unknown21/002/NMV/01
Change finish from wet harl finish (natural) to grey granite dry dash
Newcott, Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LB
Received 10 May 2022 - Decided22/175/LB
Install partitions and doors and other internal alterations
5 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 10 May 2022 - Decided22/176/PP
Convert an office to a house and extend, install an air source heat pump, re-point and render walls, install replacement door, windows and rooflights and erect a boundary wall (part-retrospective) (amendment to 11/554/PP)
25 Queen Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JE
Received 11 May 2022 - Decided22/177/MARCON
Marine licence has been requested under the above Act to undertake an existing marine farm at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs
West Fara, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 11 May 2022 - Decided22/178/PP
Install a water main with associated connections
Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 13 May 2022 - Decided22/179/PIP
Siting of two houses and create an access
Thorne Villa (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 16 May 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