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9,641 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided92/550/PPF
Proposed erection of a house and garage
Nr Midgarth Rendall
Received 5 Nov 1992 - Decided92/518/PPF
Alterations to a building
Swanney's Garage Great Western Road Kirkwall
Received 21 Oct 1992 - Decided92/479/PPF
Extension to a house
East Road Kirkwall ORKNEY
Received 18 Sept 1992 - Decided92/477/PPF
Proposed erection of a house with double garages
Site Inganess Road Kirkwall
Received 17 Sept 1992 - Decided93/162/PPF
Erection of a garage
Lindisfarne Stromness
Received 27 Apr 1993 - Decided92/290/PPF
Construction of an effluent tank
West Puldrite Rendall ORKNEY
Received 26 May 1992 - Decided90/049/PPF
Extension to a Marine Workshop
Flotta Oil Terminal Flotta ORKNEY
Received 31 Jan 1990 - Decided89/498
Proposed alterations to garage to form self contained flat.
Lindisfarne Cirston Stromness
Received 21 Dec 1989 - Decided89/286
Proposed extension to water test centre.
Flotta Oil Terminal Flotta
Received 21 Jul 1989 - Decided89/267
Proposed erection of a garage.
Viera View Rousay
Received 11 Jul 1989 - Decided89/226
Proposed erection of a sign
Pickaquoy Road
Received 16 Jun 1989 - Decided89/213
Proposed erection of a sign.
Library Hellihole Road Stromness
Received 12 Jun 1989 - Decided89/197
Proposed erection of a materials store.
Flotta Oil Terminal Flotta
Received 25 May 1989 - Decided89/181
Proposed erection of an illuminated sign
Oakleigh Hotel Stromness
Received 11 May 1989 - Decided89/112
Proposed erection of a wooden store.
Millburn Bakehouse Westray ORKNEY
Received 4 Apr 1989 - Decided89/096
Proposed change of use from workshop to three flats.
Matches Square Kirkwall
Received 15 Mar 1989 - Decided89/327
Proposed Siting of a Caravan
Damside Eday
Received 18 Aug 1989 - Decided89/326
Proposed erection of a garage/workshop.
Seaview St. Margaret's Hope
Received 18 Aug 1989 - Decided90/059/PPF
Change of use of store to chalet
Old Bakehouse Pierowall Westray ORKNEY
Received 5 Feb 1990 - Decided89/049
Proposed erection of five chalets of three flats each.
Boathouse Finstown Finstown ORKNEY
Received 10 Feb 1989 - Decided89/043
Proposed change of use to four flats.
Old Co-op building Front road St. Margaret's Hope South Ronaldsay ORKNEY
Received 9 Feb 1989 - Decided88/409/PPF
Extension to a House
Runas Harray
Received 10 Nov 1988 - Decided88/404/PPF
Proposed Extension to Form a New House
Work Farm St Ola
Received 8 Nov 1988 - Decided90/172/PPF
Proposed siting of a caravan
Whitecleat Birsay ORKNEY
Received 4 Apr 1990
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