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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided26/072/HH
Extend a house
Heather Cottage, Berstane Road, Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SZ
Received 12 Mar 2026 - Decided26/073/PP
Install a replacement window
2 Graham Place, Stromness Orkney KW16 3BY
Received 12 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/074/TPP
Erect three wind turbines (maximum height 15 metres) and construct an access track
Ferneybrae (Land Near), Mill Bay Road, Eday Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 13 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/076/PIP
Siting of 15 houses with associated infrastructure
Queen Elizabeth Way (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 16 Mar 2026 - Withdrawn/Returned22/146/NMV/01
Changes to glazing layout to front elevation and altering openings to rear elevation including the removal of the stove
Dalrhua (Land Near), Downies Lane, Stromness, Orkney
Received 12 Mar 2026 - Decided26/077/PP
Erect an industrial building (Class 5) and boundary fence, change of use of land to storage (Class 6), create a hardstanding with vehicle parking, and associated services and landscaping
Site G20, Garson Industrial Estate, Stromness, KW16 3EE
Received 17 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/078/PP
Erect a replacement house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (one for one)
Glenacres (Land Near) Quoyloo Road, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 17 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/080/HH
Re-roof with natural slates, rebuild chimney stack heads, and install replacement metal rainwater goods
106 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BU
Received 17 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/081/CLEUD
Regularise the use of a premises as a house
118 Victoria Street (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 19 Mar 2026 - Unknown26/082/APN
Erect a GP shed
Braegarth, Netherbrough Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LE
Received 23 Mar 2026 - Unknown26/083/APN
Erect a GP shed
Quanterness Farm, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1TY
Received 23 Mar 2026 - Decided26/084/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect three wind turbines (maximum height 15 metres)
Castles, Eday, Orkney
Received 10 Mar 2026 - Decided26/085/PP
Change of use of land and shed from agricultural to domestic, and alter shed
Taftshurie, Honeysgeo Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2TH
Received 23 Mar 2026 - Decided26/086/EB
Simplified notification to install three-span spur of 33kV overhead line with 10 metre wooden poles
Park Of Heddle (Land Near), Finstown, Orkney
Received 13 Mar 2026 - Decided26/087/PN
Install 12 antennas, 1 dish, 1 GPS module, and ancillary development
Bruna Lee Hill, Stromness Orkney KW16 3JU
Received 16 Mar 2026 - Decided26/088/PP
Convert part (upper floors) of a shop (Class 1A) to two flats, create wall openings, install windows, doors and rooflights, and paint window
34 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HR
Received 24 Mar 2026 - Withdrawn/Returned26/089/VR
Vary condition 03 (existing building) of planning permission 23/151/PP
Quoys (Land Near), Woodstock Road, Holm, Orkney KW17 2SD
Received 24 Mar 2026 - Decided26/090/HH
Extend a house
Hutter, Hutter Road, Stromness Parish Orkney KW16 3HU
Received 25 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/091/PP
Erect five houses with air source heat pumps, (four with integral garages), create an access, and install a communal foul drainage system
Esnaphy (Land Near) Deerness. Orkney
Received 26 Mar 2026 - Decided26/092/PP
Erect a replacement house with an integral garage and air source heat pump (one for one) (amendment to 22/198/PP)
Waulkmill Lodge, Waulkmill Road, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RA
Received 26 Mar 2026 - Decided26/093/HH
Alter a house (integral garage) and install an air source heat pump
Breck, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LY
Received 27 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/096/PP
Install 8 cabins to form temporary offices (for a temporary period of 3 years), and create associated car parking area
Former Jewson Yard, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 27 Mar 2026 - Decided26/097/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage (retrospective)
Ben-Elgar, Harray, Orkney KW17 2JU
Received 30 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/098/PP
Erect three self-catering pods with associated landscaping and create an access (retrospective)
Lilly's Lodges, Redland Road, Firth, Orkney KW17 2EU
Received 30 Mar 2026
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