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9,644 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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: 17 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided26/210/HH
Extend a house
Newdale, Outertown Road, Stromness Parish, Orkney KW16 3JP
Received 13 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/211/AMC
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump
Roselea Croft (Land Near), Blackhill Road, St Ola Orkney
Received 14 Jul 2026 - Decided26/213/S36CON
Variation to the existing section 36 consent and associated marine licence MD-00010578 for the Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm.
Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm, Dounreay, Caithness
Received 12 Feb 2026 - Awaiting decision26/214/PIP
Siting of a house and a detached garage (change of use of land from agricultural to domestic)
Hillside (Land Near), Otterswick Road, Sanday, Orkney
Received 20 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/215/PP
Install a temporary office building
Pier Office (Land Near), Pier Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2SW
Received 20 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/216/PP
Change of use from agricultural land to a secure dog walking field with associated access, parking area, fencing, gates and shelter (resubmission of 26/141/PP)
Vinkwin (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 16 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/217/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Plot 12 Saxavord (Land Near), Orphir Village, Orphir Orkney
Received 22 Jul 2026 - Decided26/218/HH
Re-roof house with Spanish slate, replace and install three rooflights and paint windows and door
East End, Church Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney KW17 2SR
Received 23 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/219/HH
Extend a house and lean to car port to existing shed
Carradale, Finstown, Firth Orkney KW17 2EL
Received 23 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision24/353/NMV/01
1. Removal of the concealed gutter and replacement with a face-fixed half-round gutter.2. Removal of concealed rainwater pipes from within the external walls, with rainwater pipes now exposed externally. 3. Addition of 15 no. photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roof following the SBEM calculation requirements.4. Update to the north-west elevation windows to ensure they accurately reflect the approved plans
The Crafty, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 21 Jul 2026 - Decided26/220/LB
Remove boundary wall
23 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HX
Received 23 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/221/PP
Conversion of a building to form a house with new access
Sandside, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 23 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/222/PP
Erect a house with air source heat pump and create an access
Berrybank (Land Near), Evie, Orkney
Received 24 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/223/SCR
Screening opinion request for coastal protection works
Houton Road, Orphir, Orkney
Received 23 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/226/PP
Change of use of building from agricultural to domestic, re-roof, remove concrete and stone skew, replace a window, two side doors and garage door
Snelsetter, Snelsetter Road, Hoy, Orkney KW16 3PA
Received 27 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/227/PP
Change of use from Post Office to mixed use facility (Class 1A/3/10) including creative arts-hub and caf�/retail. Demolish existing rear outbuildings and form three-storey extension, remove trees, install PV panels and air source heat pumps
37 & 39 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BS
Received 28 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/228/PP
Change of use from previously consented 'Boarding House (Class 7)' to 'Hotel (Class 7)'
Garden House, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1BL
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision26/229/LB
Install replacement windows and repair windows
Glaitness House, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1BA
Received 30 Jul 2026 - Awaiting decision23/373/NMV/01
Change external wall finish from larch timber cladding to white rendered blockwork, for insurance reasons regarding fire
Birsay Outdoor Centre And Campsite, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LY
Received 27 Jul 2026 - Decided26/233/HH
Extend a house
Goltaquoy, Goltaquoy Road, Westray Orkney KW17 2DE
Received 5 Aug 2026 - Awaiting decision26/236/PIP
Siting of two houses
Ayran (Land Near), Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall Orkney
Received 12 Aug 2026 - Decided26/238/PN
Install 3 x 9m wooden poles
32 Summerdale Drive (Land Near), 16 Craigie Crescent (Land Near), 17 Craigie Crescent (Land Near), Kirkwall Orkney
Received 11 Aug 2026 - Awaiting decision26/239/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and air source heat pump (change house design)
1 Dale Park (Site At) St Ola Kirkwall Orkney
Received 13 Aug 2026 - Awaiting decision26/240/HH
Extend a house
Burrian, Langbigging Road, Sanday Orkney KW17 2BP
Received 17 Aug 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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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