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 · 10,048 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,614 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided06/048/PPF
Alter design approved as 98/14/04 and erect garage
Firthview, (Savil) Finstown
Received 1 Feb 2006 - Withdrawn/Returned06/047/PPF
Conversion of store into offices
Albert St Carpark Kirkwall
Received 1 Feb 2006 - Decided06/046/PPF
Erect a house with detached garage
Ferryhouse Behind Cleat Holm
Received 1 Feb 2006 - Decided06/045/PPF
Erection of a house for holiday accommodation
North Quatquoy Firth
Received 1 Feb 2006 - Decided06/044/PPO
Siting of a house
Hundland Road Adjacent To Swannay
Received 1 Feb 2006 - Decided06/042/PPO
Siting of two houses
Evie Village Evie
Received 16 Jan 2006 - Decided06/041/PPF
Extend a house
Lynnside Harray
Received 20 Jan 2006 - Decided06/039/PPF
Change of Use and Instal dormer windows
Fairhaven Ropewalk Kirkwall
Received 16 Jan 2006 - Decided06/038/PPF
Erect a Guest house with owners' accommodation & craft workshop
Longbigging Westray
Received 16 Jan 2006 - Decided06/037/PPF
Erect pre-fabricated slurry tank & associated works/equipment
North Bigging Dounby
Received 23 Nov 2005 - Decided06/036/PPF
Erection of a dwelling
Stove Adjacent To No.1 Sanday
Received 20 Jan 2006 - Decided06/035/PPF
Retrospective: Erection of a glasshouse
Golgotha Monastery Papa Stronsay
Received 16 Jan 2006 - Decided05/731/PPF
Erect 2 houses
Firth Court Eastbank Kirkwall
Received 7 Dec 2005 - Decided05/730/PPF
Extend a house
Hindatoon Farm Harray KW17 2JT
Received 6 Dec 2005 - Decided05/729/PPR
Erect a house with integral garage
Mill Farm Rendall
Received 2 Dec 2005 - Decided05/728/PPF
Erect a commercial garage/store
Dingely (Land Near) Stromness
Received 2 Dec 2005 - Decided05/727/AGR
Erect animal shelter
East Myre Sanday
Received 2 Dec 2005 - Decided05/726/PPF
Creation of 4 self-build sites
The Meadows Kirkwall
Received 1 Dec 2005 - Decided05/725/PPO
Siting of 2 houses
Stove Sanday
Received 29 Nov 2005 - Decided05/715/PPO
Siting of a house
Malt Barn Eday
Received 29 Nov 2005 - Decided05/714/PPR
Erect a house with integral garage
Petertown Road Orphir
Received 29 Nov 2005 - Decided05/713/PPF
Extend a house
Rosemount Old Scapa Road Kirkwall KW15 1BB
Received 25 Nov 2005 - Decided05/712/PPR
Erect a house with integral garage (Amendment to Original)
Cribbaquoy (Land Near) Harray
Received 25 Nov 2005 - Decided05/711/PPF
Erect a house
Annfield (Land Near) Tankerness
Received 25 Nov 2005
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