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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided26/099/TC
Fell a tree and prune a tree
Garmiscarth, Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 26 Mar 2026 - Awaiting decision26/101/PP
Erect an agricultural building
Heathfield House, Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1TR
Received 1 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/102/TPP
Erect two 6kW wind turbines (max height 18m)
Heathfield House (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney KW15 1TR
Received 1 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/103/LB
Replace a door
3 Graham Place, Stromness Orkney KW16 3BY
Received 2 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/104/PP
Replace a door
3 Graham Place, Stromness Orkney KW16 3BY
Received 2 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/105/PP
Alter and extend a guest house including relocation of the bar/cafe
West End Hotel, 14 Main Street, Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1BU
Received 3 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/106/PP
Change of use of part of house to a self-catering unit and extend
Stenso, Georth Road, Evie Orkney KW17 2PJ
Received 7 Apr 2026 - Decided26/107/PP
Install a portacabin
Harbro Ltd, Hatston Industrial Estate, Sparrowhawk Rd, Kirkwall KW15 1GE
Received 7 Apr 2026 - Decided26/108/LB
Re-build stone wall
8 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HP
Received 7 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/109/PP
Convert a disused agricultural building and extend to create a house
Northbigging, Russland Road, Harray, Orkney KW17 2LE
Received 7 Apr 2026 - Unknown26/110/APN
Erect an agricultural shed
North Serrigar (Land Near), Serrigar Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2RL
Received 13 Apr 2026 - Decided26/111/HH
Extend a House
Stonehall, Cruan Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TT
Received 13 Apr 2026 - Decided26/112/PP
Extend a funeral home
John G Corse Funeral Home, Old Scapa Road, Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1BB
Received 15 Apr 2026 - Decided26/113/LB
Restore hand crane
2 South End, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3DJ
Received 17 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/114/PP
Reinstate a house and extend (retrospective)
Exchange Cottage, Orphir Orkney KW17 2RD
Received 17 Apr 2026 - Decided26/115/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump, sewage treatment tank and reinstate redundant house as an outbuilding, and create an access
Former Yesnaby School, Yesnaby Road, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 17 Apr 2026 - Decided26/116/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Highcroft, Eastquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LT
Received 20 Apr 2026 - Decided26/117/PP
Erect a house with an external garage (one for one) and upgrade an access
Keldroseed, Lyking Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3HY
Received 21 Apr 2026 - Unknown26/119/APN
Erect an agricultural shed
Millhouse, Millhouse Road, Deerness, Orkney KW17 2QH
Received 22 Apr 2026 - Unknown23/247/NMV/01
Minor amendments to internal layout
Leslie Burgher 21 Bridge Street Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1HR
Received 22 Apr 2026 - Decided26/120/VR
Vary condition 01 of planning permission 23/320/PP (duration of temporary permission) extend duration by two years to 08/12/28
Westray Junior High School, Noup Road, Westray, Orkney KW17 2DH
Received 23 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/121/PP
Change of use of land to community garden, erect two polycarbonate polytunnels, a shed, vehicle access and hardstanding
Old Hall (Land Near) Rousay Orkney
Received 24 Apr 2026 - Decided26/122/HH
Extend a house
The Nook, Cromwell Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LN
Received 24 Apr 2026 - Awaiting decision26/123/VR
Vary Condition 01 of planning permission 22/423/PP (duration of consent)
A961 Between Kirkwall And St. Mary's, Orkney
Received 24 Apr 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