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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided25/285/PP
Erect a workshop/storage building and generator building, create an access and install replacement window and aerial (part retrospective)
Northern Turbine Services Ltd, 1 Quarryfield Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1GD
Received 20 Aug 2025 - Decided25/286/TC
Fell a tree
54 Victoria Street Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1DN
Received 14 Aug 2025 - Withdrawn/Returned25/287/PP
Erect four houses with integral garages and air source heat pumps (4 x one-for-one) and install drainage infrastructure
Quoyberstane (Land Near), Craigiefield Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 22 Aug 2025 - Decided25/288/PP
Demolish former public house/hostel, erect a public house and restaurant, install two air source heat pumps, alter shed cladding, create motorhome pitches and parking, install drainage infrastructure and associated landscaping (resubmission of 24/433/PP and 24/436/PP) (part retrospective)
Furrowend (Land Near), Eday, Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 22 Aug 2025 - Decided25/289/PP
Erect an agricultural building (amendment to 23/251/PP), change of use of land from agriculture to domestic and install a domestic polytunnel and fuel tank (retrospective)
Mounthoolie, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AB
Received 22 Aug 2025 - Decided25/291/HH
Extend a house
Quarry Banks Stromness Orkney Islands KW16 3LL
Received 25 Aug 2025 - Decided25/292/PP
Convert former shop and house to four flats, extend including a balcony to the rear and install replacement windows, doors, rooflights and ridge tiles, replace stone caps and removal of chimney (resubmission of 22/264/PP) (amendment to 23/099/PP)
5-7 King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 26 Aug 2025 - Decided25/293/PP
Erect an ancillary building
Orcades Hostel, Muddisdale Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RS
Received 26 Aug 2025 - Decided25/294/PP
Create a public footpath with picnic areas, erect a bird hide, stone plinths, and stone wall sculptures (part retrospective)
Loch Of Ayre, St Mary's Holm Orkney
Received 26 Aug 2025 - Awaiting decision25/295/PP
Erect a house (incorporating part of two existing walls) and install an air source heat pump
42 Junction Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 29 Aug 2025 - Decided25/296/AD
Display two fascia signs
British Red Cross, 68 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 1 Sept 2025 - Decided25/297/PP
Repaint windows and door
British Red Cross, 68 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1DN
Received 1 Sept 2025 - Decided25/300/PP
Alter ground levels, erect fencing, and hard and soft landscaping (amendment to part of 23/280/PP)
13 Burnett Brae, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1GS
Received 2 Sept 2025 - Decided25/301/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and a detached domestic shed, install a borehole, and create an access (resubmission of 24/333/PP)
Midgard (Land Near), Hullion Road, Rousay, Orkney
Received 3 Sept 2025 - Awaiting decision25/302/PPMAJ
Erect a causeway comprising rock-fill core bund and in-fill, with concrete bankseat, to facilitate the mooring of a temporary floating pier or barge
Eday Ferry Terminal, Backaland, Eday, Orkney
Received 3 Sept 2025 - Decided25/303/WL
Erect a causeway comprising rock-fill core bund and in-fill, with concrete bankseat, to facilitate the mooring of a temporary floating pier or barge
Eday Ferry Terminal (Land Near), Eday, Orkney
Received 3 Sept 2025 - Decided25/304/APN
Erect a GP shed
West Nistaben, Germiston Road, Stenness, Orkney KW16 3HE
Received 4 Sept 2025 - Decided25/305/PP
Re-surface multi-use sports area, install lighting and erect fencing
North Walls Community School, Hoy, Orkney KW16 3NX
Received 5 Sept 2025 - Decided25/306/PP
Install three air source heat pumps and roof-mounted solar panels
Burray Hall, Village Road, Burray Village, Burray, Orkney
Received 8 Sept 2025 - Awaiting decision25/307/LB
Demolish and rebuild a wall
Grainbank House, Hatston Brae, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RD
Received 9 Sept 2025 - Decided25/308/PP
Erect two pods with air source heat pumps and associated infrastructure (retrospective) (amendment to application 22/371/PP)
Millfield, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LL
Received 9 Sept 2025 - Decided25/309/PP
Change of use of land from agriculture to domestic, extend a house, convert an agricultural building to domestic, and erect a domestic outbuilding
Stenaquoy, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 10 Sept 2025 - Decided25/310/PP
Change of use of land, erect a self catering unit, ground mounted solar array, demountable wind turbine (8m) upgrade access and install borehole (part retrospective)
Quoys (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney
Received 11 Sept 2025 - Decided25/311/PP
Convert an office with ancillary accommodation to a house
43 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1AR
Received 11 Sept 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
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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