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9,643 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided22/365/PP
Erect 5 houses with air source heat pumps, create an access, construct a track and associated infrastructure
Scorradale (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RP
Received 6 Oct 2022 - Decided22/366/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with detached garage and create an access (amendment to 19/366/PP)
Bonnyvoe, Stews Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RL
Received 6 Oct 2022 - Decided22/367/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage, install an air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to 22/047/PP)
Eastra (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HS
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Decided22/368/PP
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump (amendment to 07/048/PPF)
Southend Mill, Whitemire Road, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NL
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/369/PP
Erect a house and create an access
1 Hellihole Road (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Decided22/370/HH
Extend a house
Glenfyne, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RX
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Decided22/371/PP
Erect two pods and associated infrastructure (resubmission of 22/108/PP)
Millfield, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LL
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Decided22/372/PP
Demolish a house, and erect a house with an air source heat pump
Quholm, Girnigoe Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EB
Received 11 Oct 2022 - Decided22/373/HH
Extend a house
Kelda Cottage, Geroin Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 11 Oct 2022 - Decided22/374/MARCON
Marine licence has been requested under the above Act to undertake a Pier Extension at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs
St Margaret's Hope Pier
Received 10 Oct 2022 - Decided22/376/HH
Extend a house
Colymbus, 9 Craigiefield Park, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TE
Received 11 Oct 2022 - Decided22/380/PN
Install a generator
Wideford Hill, St Ola, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 25 Oct 2022 - Decided22/382/PP
Erect 10 houses with air source heat pumps, construct a road and associated landscaping and infrastructure
Cairston Road (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JS
Received 19 Oct 2022 - Decided22/384/PP
Install two roof-mounted heat pumps with screening
74 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BS
Received 21 Oct 2022 - Decided22/385/AMC
Erect a replacement house (one for one) with an air source heat pump (following permission in principle 19/378/PIP)
Rossmyre (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 24 Oct 2022 - Decided22/386/HH
Erect a domestic garage
9 Soulisquoy Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1TJ
Received 24 Oct 2022 - Decided22/387/PP
Install three antennas on existing tower, an equipment cabin and associated works
Telecommunications Mast, Wideford Hill, Orkney
Received 26 Oct 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/388/PIP
Siting of a distillery, store and shop
Ankersted (Land Near), Burray Village, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 26 Oct 2022 - Withdrawn/Returned22/389/PP
Install a replacement telecommunications pole (8.5 metres)
Graemsay Cabin, Sandside Road, Graemsay, Orkney
Received 27 Oct 2022 - Unknown20/278/NMV/01
Change to materials (dry dash colour)
32A Clay Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QQ
Received 28 Oct 2022 - Decided22/390/PP
Install 2 dishes on existing telecommunications tower
Rackwick Hostel (Land Near), Shop Road, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NJ
Received 28 Oct 2022 - Unknown20/393/NMV/01
Interior layout altered. Bay window added over two storeys
Hullion, Hullion Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 31 Oct 2022 - Decided22/391/PIP
Siting of a shed
Quoyfaulds, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 31 Oct 2022 - Decided22/392/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and erect a polytunnel
Laxhowe, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LG
Received 1 Nov 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