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9,641 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided90/150/PPF
Alteration to a house
Hillbanks Burray ORKNEY
Received 26 Mar 1990 - Decided90/142/PPF
Erection of a guest house
Near Billfield Craigiefield Road St Ola ORKNEY
Received 20 Mar 1990 - Decided87/360/AD1
Proposed Erection of a Sign
Ortak Jewellery Hatston Industrial Estate Kirkwall
Received 26 Nov 1987 - Decided87/301/PPF
Extension to a Workshop
Enfield Hillside Road Stromness
Received 13 Oct 1987 - Decided87/292/PPF
Proposed Change of Use of a Stable to a House
Upper Midhouse Costa Evie
Received 2 Oct 1987 - Decided88/097/PPF
Proposed Erection of a House
Work Farm St Ola
Received 24 Mar 1988 - Decided88/096/PPF
Proposed Erection of a Ro-Ro Ferry Terminal
Burwick South Ronaldsay
Received 22 Nov 1991 - Decided88/092/PPO
Proposed Erection of Two Houses
Elmbank Craigiefield St Ola
Received 23 Mar 1988 - Decided88/026/PPF
Proposed Alterations to a House
Harpsa Birsay
Received 28 Jan 1988 - Decided87/191/PPF
Proposed Extension to a House
Lindisfarne Annfield Crescent Kirkwall
Received 17 Jun 1987 - Decided87/107/PPF
Extension and Alterations to a House
Enfield Hillside Road Stromness
Received 21 Apr 1987 - Decided87/066/PPF
Proposed Erection of a Satellite Dish
Kirkwall Hotel Harbour Street Kirkwall
Received 13 Mar 1987 - Decided87/248/PPF
Proposed Erection of a House
Burghstone Hill St Ola
Received 11 Aug 1987 - Decided87/221/PPF
Proposed Erection of a House and Garage
Midgarth Stromness
Received 17 Jul 1987 - Decided87/331/PPF
Proposed Extension to an Electricity Sub-Station
Flotta Oil Terminal Flotta
Received 6 Apr 1987 - Decided87/033/PPF
Proposed Alterations to a House
Glenmarohn North End Road Stromness
Received 17 Feb 1987 - Decided07/084/PPF
Erect animal store
Ootwill, Sanday, KW17 2AZ
Received 19 Feb 2007 - Decided07/083/PPR
Erect a house
1 Downie's Lane Stromness
Received 16 Feb 2007 - Decided07/082/PPF
Erection of equipment building, hardstanding and bunding for Biofuels Ltd
Gallowhill Westray
Received 16 Feb 2007 - Decided07/081/PPF
Extend a house
Bridgend Orphir
Received 15 Feb 2007 - Decided07/080/PPF
Erect a domestic 6kW wind turbine (max height 15m)
Kingshouse Harray KW17 2LQ
Received 15 Feb 2007 - Decided07/079/PPF
COU Shop to form part of existing dwellinghouse
108/110 Victoria Street Stromness KW16 3BU
Received 14 Feb 2007 - Decided07/078/PPF
Erect a domestic wind turbine
Cott Farm Rousay KW17 2PT
Received 14 Feb 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/077/PPO
Siting of 4 houses
Stoneyhill Road, Harray
Received 14 Feb 2007
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