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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Withdrawn/Returned22/288/PP
Reinstate a house, extend, and install an air source heat pump, erect a replacement house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (two for one) and alter an access
Savedale Cottage (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JE
Received 4 Aug 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/289/PP
Reinstate a house, extend, and install an air source heat pump, erect a replacement house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (two for one), and alter an access
Quean (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3JE
Received 4 Aug 2022 - Decided22/290/AD
Display a fascia sign
44 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 8 Aug 2022 - Decided22/291/PP
Change of use from a shop (Class 1) to a shop and cafe (Classes 1 and 3) and install replacement rainwater goods and two gates
44 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 8 Aug 2022 - Decided22/292/PP
Reinstate a house, extend and install an air source heat pump, erect an outbuilding, temporary siting of a caravan and install solar array (part retrospective)
Boloquoy (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 9 Aug 2022 - Decided22/293/LB
Re-roof with reclaimed Welsh slate and turf, re-point with lime mortar, install replacement timber windows and doors, metal rainwater goods, interior alterations and extend
Boloquoy, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 9 Aug 2022 - Decided22/294/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create a pond using existing watercourse
Wideford Reservoir (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 9 Aug 2022 - Decided22/295/PIP
Siting of two replacement houses (2 x one for one) (resubmission of 22/113/PIP)
North Quatquoy (Land Near), Burness Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ET
Received 10 Aug 2022 - Decided22/296/HH
Erect a domestic outbuilding (part retrospective)
Baikies Noust, Evie Village, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 10 Aug 2022 - Decided22/297/SCR
Screening opinion to erect 3 x 850kW wind turbines (max height 75m) with associated underground cable
Akla (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 10 Aug 2022 - Decided22/298/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
24 Faravel, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DT
Received 10 Aug 2022 - Decided22/299/HH
Extend a house
Langskaill, Kirbister Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 15 Aug 2022 - Decided22/300/PIP
Siting of a house and shed and create an access
Hneta Hus (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PU
Received 16 Aug 2022 - Decided22/301/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Little Arion, Hutter Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 16 Aug 2022 - Decided22/302/LB
Re-roof using Welsh slate and associated leadwork, re-point walls, install replacement rainwater goods and timber windows and doors, extend including metal-clad windows and remove roof from attached store (part retrospective)
Little Arion, Hutter Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 16 Aug 2022 - Unknown22/066/NMV/01
Windows, doors/frames all to be white uPVC
Ty Bach, 7 Papdale Close, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QP
Received 8 Aug 2022 - Decided22/303/HH
Extend a house
The Willows, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EJ
Received 17 Aug 2022 - Decided22/305/PP
Change of use from visitor centre (Class 10) to mixed use workshop, storage and office (Classes 4, 6 and 10) (retrospective)
14 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AB
Received 17 Aug 2022 - Decided22/306/LB
Install replacement windows and rainwater goods, re-point walls and roof flagstones, and internal alterations
Kirbuster Museum, Hundland Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LW
Received 18 Aug 2022 - Decided22/307/LB
Install an air source heat pump, paint doors, carry out masonry repairs to staircase, form opening in internal wall, line walls, install partitions and other internal alterations
Smithy Museum, 11 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 18 Aug 2022 - Decided22/308/PP
Change of use from cafe and gallery/museum, to cafe, public house, hot food takeaway and gallery/museum, install an air source heat pump and paint doors
Smithy Museum, 11 Balfour, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DX
Received 18 Aug 2022 - Decided22/309/TC
Fell a sycamore
Orcadia (Land Near), Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 18 Aug 2022 - Decided22/310/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (one for one) including retention
Eastdam (Land Near), Widewall, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 19 Aug 2022 - Decided22/313/HH
Erect a domestic garage
Cumleybank, Girnigoe Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EB
Received 24 Aug 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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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