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
138Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,078 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 16 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided23/464/LB
Replace mash house floor and roof structure, install replacement tun and washbacks, and roof with steel sheeting
Highland Park Distillery, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SU
Received 21 Dec 2023 - Decided23/465/PP
Convert a meeting room to two self-catering units, install replacement windows and doors and two air source heat pumps with housing (resubmission of 23/313/PP)
10 Bridge Street Wynd, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JD
Received 22 Dec 2023 - Decided23/466/PP
Change of use of a barn to wedding venue (retrospective)
Berstane Farmhouse, Berstane Lodge Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1SZ
Received 22 Dec 2023 - Decided24/001/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump and create an access (resubmission of 22/468/PP)
Standpretty (Land Near), Sandyhill Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 5 Jan 2024 - Decided24/002/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and detached garage, and create an access
Hewing (Land Near), Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 10 Jan 2024 - Decided24/004/PP
Change of use from two flats to two self-catering units
86 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DQ
Received 11 Jan 2024 - Withdrawn/Returned24/005/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Lower Rumin (Land Near) Rackwick Road, Hoy, Orkney KW16 3NJ
Received 12 Jan 2024 - Decided24/006/PP
Change of use from two flats to two self-catering units (retrospective)
4 West Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1AL
Received 12 Jan 2024 - Decided24/007/LB
Install 10 replacement windows
86 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DQ
Received 15 Jan 2024 - Decided24/008/PP
Erect 10 houses with air source heat pumps, create an access, and install a communal foul drainage system
St Andrews School (Land Near), Toab, Orkney
Received 15 Jan 2024 - Unknown24/010/MARPN
Replace and reposition a feed barge
Backaland, Eday Sound, Orkney
Received 22 Dec 2023 - Decided24/011/PP
Install a bicycle shelter (retrospective), (resubmission 23/101/PP)
Shapinsay Pier, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 16 Jan 2024 - Decided24/012/PP
Change of use from part of car park to parking for haulage vehicles (retrospective)
Hoy Hotel, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 16 Jan 2024 - Decided24/014/HH
Extend a house
23 Lynn Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1FF
Received 17 Jan 2024 - Decided24/015/HH
Extend a house, including pitched roof over existing flat roof and install an air source heat pump
Nessbreck, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JR
Received 18 Jan 2024 - Decided24/016/PP
Install 10 replacement windows
86 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DQ
Received 18 Jan 2024 - Decided24/017/PP
Change of use of land to community garden and erect a polycrub
Hoy And Walls Health And Social Care Centre (Land Near) Hoy, Orkney KW16 3PG
Received 19 Jan 2024 - Decided24/018/PP
Demolish a house and erect a house with an air source heat pump
Ballochmyle, Deerness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1SW
Received 23 Jan 2024 - Decided24/019/PP
Reinstate a redundant house, install an air source heat pump and upgrade an access (resubmission of 21/297/PP) (retrospective)
Norton House (Land Near) Northfield Road, Burray, Orkney
Received 23 Jan 2024 - Decided24/020/PP
Erect a tasting/function building
Newhall (Land Near), Stove Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 24 Jan 2024 - Unknown20/198/NMV/01
Amend ridge tiles from buff to grey
Ulva Cottage, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2BZ
Received 3 Jan 2024 - Decided24/022/TC
Crown thin, crown reduction and install a tree brace to mature tree
Bishops And Earls Palaces, Watergate, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1PD
Received 24 Jan 2024 - Decided24/024/HH
Extend a house
Barns Of Ayre, Aikerskaill Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 26 Jan 2024 - Awaiting decision24/025/HH
Install solar panels
East Church Manse, Thoms Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1PF
Received 26 Jan 2024
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