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9,641 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/005/PPF
Erect boundary fence
Soulisquoy Place (between Plot 10 & 11) Kirkwall
Received 3 Jan 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/004/PPF
Erect a house
Wheilein Russland Road Harray
Received 19 Dec 2006 - Decided07/003/PPF
Alterations to provide office & store accommodation & construct precast concrete wall
8 Grainshore Drive Hatston Industrial Estate Kirkwall KW15 1TF
Received 22 Dec 2006 - Decided07/002/PPF
Erect replacement house
Quarryhouse Stenness
Received 3 Jan 2007 - Decided07/001/PPF
Erect 32 houses
Corse Field Wellington Street Kirkwall
Received 3 Jan 2007 - Decided06/678/PPF
Convert store into 2 residential apartments and construct 8 semi detached houses
The Bothy Finstown
Received 15 Dec 2006 - Decided07/042/PPF
Demolish existing porch and erect new extension
Parklea School Road St Margaret's Hope KW17 2TN
Received 29 Jan 2007 - Decided07/041/PPF
Erect agricultural building (silo)
Breck Cottage, Birsay
Received 29 Jan 2007 - Decided07/040/LBC
Restoration of 2 windows, remove internal partitions and
28 Main Street Kirkwall KW15 1BU
Received 26 Jan 2007 - Decided07/039/PPF
Erect joiners workshop
Arrowon Shapinsay KW17 2EB
Received 26 Jan 2007 - Decided07/038/PPF
Erection of house for retiring farmer
Hindatoon, Harray
Received 25 Jan 2007 - Decided07/037/PPF
Erect 3 dwelling houses
Newark (near) Harray
Received 25 Jan 2007 - Decided07/036/PPF
Erect a conservatory
26 Scapa Crescent Kirkwall KW15 1RL
Received 25 Jan 2007 - Decided07/035/PPF
Convert building to house
Hoyview, Stenness
Received 24 Jan 2007 - Decided07/034/PPF
Erect replacement house with garage & stable
Hoyview Stenness
Received 24 Jan 2007 - Decided07/033/PPF
Extend a house
Sutherland Lodge, Burray, KW17 2SS
Received 19 Jan 2007 - Decided07/032/PPF
Extend a house
Brennanaire Harray
Received 22 Jan 2007 - Decided07/031/PPO
Siting of 4 houses
West Links Burray
Received 22 Jan 2007 - Decided07/030/APN
Erect GP shed
Odiness Stronsay
Received 23 Jan 2007 - Decided07/029/PPF
Erect a house
Schoolbrae (Land Near), Stronsay
Received 23 Jan 2007 - Decided07/028/PPR
Erect a house
Benearn, Harray
Received 22 Jan 2007 - Decided07/027/AD
Display a sign
17 Albert Street Kirkwall KW17 2EU
Received 19 Jan 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/026/PPO
Siting of a House
Dyke Clestrain Orphir
Received 19 Jan 2007 - Decided07/025/AGR
Erect GP Shed
Kirkbist, North Ronaldsay
Received 19 Jan 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