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 · 10,049 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,615 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 18 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided06/192/PPF
Extend a house
Daystar Halley Road Deerness
Received 23 Mar 2006 - Decided06/191/PPR
Erection of a new house
Cornesquoy Orphir
Received 22 Mar 2006 - Decided06/190/PPF
Erect a conservatory
Glebe Cottage Harray
Received 21 Mar 2006 - Decided06/189/AGR
Erect GP shed
Yesko Dounby
Received 22 Mar 2006 - Decided06/188/PPF
Erect a Guest-house with owners' accommodation
Millfield Stromness
Received 22 Feb 2006 - Decided06/187/PPF
Extend a house
Roeberry Cottage St Margaret's Hope
Received 16 Mar 2006 - Decided06/186/PPF
Erection of 6 dwellings (3 semi-detached pairs of dwellings)
Garson Stromness
Received 18 Mar 2006 - Decided06/185/PPF
Erect 2 dwellings (one pair of semi-detached houses)
Verona Garden Ground Of Scapa Crescent Kirkwall
Received 16 Mar 2006 - Decided06/184/PPF
Extension to a house
34 Buttquoy Crescent Kirkwall
Received 16 Mar 2006 - Decided06/183/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Caldwell Cottage Opposite E Tradespark St Ola
Received 16 Mar 2006 - Decided06/182/LBC
Renovation of cottages
Lightkeepers' Houses Former North Ronaldsay
Received 8 Mar 2006 - Decided06/181/PPF
Erection of 2 flats
Wascana Bignold Park Road Kirkwall
Received 20 Mar 2006 - Withdrawn/Returned06/179/LBC
Change of Use to Dwelling house and Link building
The Bothy Back Road St Margaret's Hope
Received 22 Mar 2006 - Decided06/178/PPF
Change of Use to Dwelling house and Link building
The Bothy Back Road St Margaret's Hope
Received 15 Mar 2006 - Decided06/176/PPF
Create new access
Isbisters' Shop Near Quoyloo
Received 12 Mar 2006 - Withdrawn/Returned06/175/PPO
Amendment to PPO/DCN 03/15/329, house sites
Stoneyhill Road Harray
Received 10 Mar 2006 - Decided06/174/LBC
Works to a listed building in Balfour Village Conservation Area
Lodge Cottage No.4 Balfour Village
Received 10 Feb 2006 - Decided06/173/PPF
Erection of a replacement house
Westbank Evie
Received 9 Mar 2006 - Decided06/169/PPF
Erect a replacement house
Midhouse Huntscarth Harray
Received 9 Mar 2006 - Decided06/168/PPF
Erection of 74 houses (of which 24 social housing)
The Meadows Kirkwall
Received 9 Mar 2006 - Decided06/167/PPF
Change house roof void to self-catering accommodation
Lenahowe Tenston Sandwick
Received 9 Mar 2006 - Decided06/165/PPF
Siting of a children's play area and equipment
Deerness Community Centre Deerness
Received 9 Mar 2006 - Decided06/164/PPF
Extension to a house under construction
Cornesquoy Orphir
Received 10 Mar 2006 - Decided06/163/PPF
Demolish store & erect a dwelling house
Ayre Hotel At Rear Of Kirkwall
Received 9 Mar 2006
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