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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided22/314/S36CON
Application for consent under section 36 of the electricity act 1989 and marine licences under part 4 of the marine (scotland) act 2010 to construct and operate pentland floating offshore windfarm
Dounreay, Caithness
Received 25 Aug 2022 - Unknown22/315/TPN
Erect a 3kW wind turbine (max height 11.11m)
Nessie, Liddie Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 25 Aug 2022 - Decided22/316/AD
Display a fascia sign
31 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 25 Aug 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/318/PP
Erect a house with two air source heat pumps, a detached annex with an air source heat pump, associated landscaping including works to the coastal slope and upgrade an access
Ferneybrae, Mill Bay Road, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 25 Aug 2022 - Decided22/319/PP
Erect four self-catering pods with associated ancillary building, access, parking, drainage and landscaping
Riff, Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PB
Received 26 Aug 2022 - Unknown22/320/TPPMAJ
Erect four wind turbines (maximum height of 180 metres, maximum generation capacity 26.4 MW total), a substation and maintenance building, create an access, and associated infrastructure including access tracks, underground cabling, crane hardstandings and borrow pit
Hundland Hill (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 26 Aug 2022 - Decided22/321/PP
Import soil for agricultural land improvement and relocate an access (retrospective)
Moa, Stoneyhill Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HQ
Received 29 Aug 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/322/PP
Erect a pod
Sunnybrae, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 29 Aug 2022 - Decided22/323/HH
Erect a shed
The Myre, Horries Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 30 Aug 2022 - Decided22/324/PN
Install two dishes on existing mast
Maraquoy (Land Near), Howe Road, Stromness Parish, Orkney, KW16 3JU
Received 26 Aug 2022 - Decided22/325/PP
Erect a house
Breckan Brae (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 1 Sept 2022 - Decided22/326/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump, alter an access, demolish stone dykes and prune a tree
Lothlorien, 6 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AN
Received 1 Sept 2022 - Decided22/327/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a garden room
Millhouse, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NU
Received 2 Sept 2022 - Decided22/328/PP
Temporary siting of an office cabin
Onziebust (Land Near), Onziebust Road, Egilsay, Orkney, KW17 2QD
Received 2 Sept 2022 - Decided22/329/HH
Erect a shed and install a solar array
Greenwall Mill, Greenwall Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 5 Sept 2022 - Unknown21/511/NMV/01
Red line boundary reduced at south corner to plot 50B. Houses repositioned, house ridge height increased. House foot print amended
Plots 50A & 50B, Breckan Brae, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RR
Received 1 Sept 2022 - Decided22/330/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic
Smiddy Park, Stews Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RL
Received 6 Sept 2022 - Unknown21/302/NMV/01
Change of drainage discharge from septic tank and soakaway to discharge via outfall
Quoyburray Inn (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 5 Sept 2022 - Decided22/332/PP
Create a flat (to be occupied in connection with the church) and install 3 air source heat pumps and replacement windows and doors
Orphir Church, Gyre Road, Orphir Village, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 7 Sept 2022 - Decided22/333/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 15.5m), cable and solar panel array (44 panels)
Swanbister House, Gyre Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 8 Sept 2022 - Decided22/334/AD
Display advertisements on proposed freestanding ATM kiosk
5 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 9 Sept 2022 - Decided22/336/PP
Install a freestanding ATM kiosk with public telephone
5 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA
Received 9 Sept 2022 - Decided22/337/PIP
Siting of a house with an annexe and upgrade an access
Gleniffer (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LG
Received 9 Sept 2022 - Decided22/338/SCR
Screening opinion request to extend a quarry
Gairsty Quarry, Quoyloo, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LT
Received 8 Sept 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