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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Unknown24/456/NMV/01
Amend roof tiles from dark grey to black
Burnside (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 24 Jul 2025 - Decided25/257/PIP
Siting of a house (replacement house) and convert a redundant building to a house (two for one)
Wasbister (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 30 Jul 2025 - Decided25/258/PN
Replace a 8m wooden pole with 9m wooden pole
Widewall View (Land Near), Aikers Road, South Ronaldsay Orkney
Received 30 Jul 2025 - Decided25/259/PN
Install two 8 metre wooden poles
Earlsfield (Land Near), Palace Road Kirkwall Orkney Islands
Received 30 Jul 2025 - Decided25/260/LB
Paint four external doors
Stromness Museum, 52 Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DF
Received 1 Aug 2025 - Decided25/262/PP
Erect an agricultural shed (retrospective)
Orgil Farm, Braebuster Road, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NJ
Received 5 Aug 2025 - Decided25/263/PN
Install a 9 metre wooden pole
Coolyn (Land Near), Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney,
Received 2 Aug 2025 - Decided25/264/PN
Install three 9 metre wooden poles
Benbradagh (Land Near), Inganess Road, Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SP
Received 2 Aug 2025 - Decided25/265/PN
Install a 7 metre wooden pole
3 Lynnside (Land Near), Lynn Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SR
Received 4 Aug 2025 - Decided25/266/PP
Change of use of part of building to microbrewery, bistro/tap room (public house) and shop (amendment to part of 24/471/PP) (retrospective)
Waterfront Steel (Land Near), Crowness Road, St Ola, Kirkwall KW15 1RG
Received 6 Aug 2025 - Decided25/267/CLEUD
Regularise the use of self-catering unit
Shorelines Self Catering, Maitland Place, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EQ
Received 6 Aug 2025 - Decided25/268/PP
Construct a plinth
RSPB Marwick Nature Reserve, Birsay, Orkney
Received 7 Aug 2025 - Decided25/269/PP
Alter shop front including metal and glazed panels, install metal sculptural features and replacement windows and doors, render walls, create a covered terrace, and install roof lights (amendment to 24/233/PP)
Sheila Fleet, 50 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 7 Aug 2025 - Decided25/270/HH
Install two replacement rooflights and slate over a glass pane
The Store, Back Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Received 8 Aug 2025 - Decided25/271/LB
Create a wall opening
Kirbuster Museum, Hundland Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LW
Received 8 Aug 2025 - Awaiting decision25/272/PP
Reinstate a quarry for extraction of stone, extend, and associated landscaping
Banks Quarry, Rousay, Orkney
Received 11 Aug 2025 - Decided25/275/PIP
Siting of a house
Skeldro (Land Near), Burray Village, Burray Orkney KW17 2SS
Received 12 Aug 2025 - Decided25/276/PIP
Siting of three houses and create two accesses
Merlehaven (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 13 Aug 2025 - Decided25/277/TPP
Erect three wind turbines (maximum height 15 metres) and construct an access track (resubmission of 25/199/TPP)
Ferneybrae (Land Near), Mill Bay Road, Eday, Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 13 Aug 2025 - Decided25/278/PP
Create a sand school
Hozen, Hillside Road, West Mainland, Orkney, KW17 2JB
Received 14 Aug 2025 - Decided25/279/PP
Change of use of mixed use building to visitor centre including offices, erect an external staircase, construct a car park, and install a solar array (part retrospective)
Tomb Of The Eagles, Liddle Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2RW
Received 15 Aug 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/280/PP
Erect five houses (three with integral garages) and air source heat pumps, create an access, install a communal foul drainage system, associated landscaping, and widen public road (resubmission of 24/442/PP)
Fernlea (Land Near), Netherbrough Road, Harray, Orkney
Received 18 Aug 2025 - Decided25/283/PP
Change of land use from agriculture to harbour authority operational land
Houton Ferry Terminal And Toilets (Land Near), Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney
Received 19 Aug 2025 - Decided25/284/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and upgrade an access (subdivision of curtilage)
Braesdene (Land Near), Graemeshall Road, Holm, Orkney KW17 2RX
Received 20 Aug 2025
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
All planning guides
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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