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 · 10,075 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,641 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided97/117/PPF
Extraction of sand
Crook South Ronaldsay
Received 21 Mar 1997 - Decided97/002/PPF
Erection of a house
Plot 2 Maraquoy Stromness
Received 8 Jan 1997 - Decided96/380/PPF
Proposed change of use of part of a scrap yard to freight storage area
The Scrapyard Hatston Industrial Estate Kirkwall ORKNEY
Received 26 Sept 1996 - Decided96/372/PPF
Erection of an amenity building
Boathouse Finstown ORKNEY
Received 18 Sept 1996 - Decided96/355/CAC
Erection of a fire escape and external duct
Royal Hotel Victoria Street Stromness
Received 2 Sept 1996 - Decided93/452/PPO
Site for a house
Sunnybank (near) Stromness
Received 18 Oct 1993 - Decided93/380/PPO
Sites for two houses
Queena Rendall
Received 2 Sept 1993 - Decided93/413/PPF
Erection of a House and Garage
Graemshall Holm
Received 27 Sept 1993 - Decided93/468/PPF
Erection of two houses with garages
Wideford Farm St Ola
Received 29 Oct 1993 - Decided94/483/RPF
Sewage pumping station incorporating fine screen, sub-station
Weyland Bay Pumping Station Carness Road St Ola ORKNEY
Received 16 Dec 1994 - Decided94/417/PPF
Erection of a house and garage
Trundigar Rendall
Received 31 Oct 1994 - Decided94/336/PPF
Extension to a house
Sandygill Waulkmill Orphir
Received 18 Aug 1994 - Decided94/174/PPF
Extension to a house
Nether Handley Berstane Road Kirkwall
Received 20 Apr 1994 - Withdrawn/Returned94/099/PPF
Retrospective application for an extension to a workshop
Enfield Stromness
Received 2 Mar 1994 - Decided94/138/PPF
Formation of croft and temporary siting of caravan
Peedie Esgar Dounby
Received 28 Mar 1994 - Decided94/166/PPF
Alterations to house and shop to form four flats
8 Clay Loan Kirkwall
Received 15 Apr 1994 - Decided94/017/PPF
Extension to a house
Kevock The Keelies Kirkwall
Received 12 Jan 1994 - Decided92/275/PPF
Proposed erection of a garage/store
Berstane Road Kirkwall ORKNEY
Received 25 May 1992 - Decided92/339/PPF
Conversion of a building to 3 flats at Milldam, Stromness
Milldam Stromness
Received 22 Jun 1992 - Decided92/203/PPF
Erection of house
Quean Sandwick ORKNEY
Received 16 Apr 1992 - Decided92/142/PPF
Proposed erection of a house with garage
3 Sabiston Crescent Weyland Kirkwall
Received 18 Mar 1992 - Decided92/097/PPF
Proposed conversion of house into 6 bedsits
22 Bignold Park Road Kirkwall ORKNEY
Received 21 Feb 1992 - Decided92/095/PPF
Erection of house
Holm Road St Ola
Received 21 Feb 1992 - Decided92/077/PPF
Extension to house
Braemar Longhope ORKNEY
Received 14 Feb 1992
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