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9,614 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided05/393/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Lyking Sandwick
Received 27 Jun 2005 - Decided05/392/PPF
Remove condition in order to permit extension of opening hours
Busters Diner 1 Mounthoolie Place Kirkwall Orkney Islands KW15 1JZ
Received 22 Jun 2005 - Decided05/391/PPF
Erection of a house
Site 1 Petticoat Lane Orphir
Received 27 Jun 2005 - Decided05/390/PPF
Erect a domestic garage
The Knowe Harray
Received 27 Jun 2005 - Decided05/389/LBC
Alterations to former foyer and members lounge
Council Offices Kirkwall KW15 1NY
Received 28 Jun 2005 - Decided05/388/PPF
Erect a house and garage
Springs (Land Near) Burray
Received 27 Jun 2005 - Decided05/387/PPF
Demolish a house and erect new house with garage
Benmora Cromwell Road Kirkwall
Received 27 Jun 2005 - Decided05/386/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Viewfield Stromness
Received 24 Jun 2005 - Decided05/385/PPF
Erect a conservatory
31 Hillside Road Stromness KW16 3HR
Received 22 Jun 2005 - Decided05/384/PPF
Erect a dwelling house
Netherbrough Road Harray
Received 23 Jun 2005 - Decided05/383/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Whistle-Keek Birsay
Received 24 Jun 2005 - Decided05/382/PPF
Erection of a house
Orcadee (Land Near) Pierowall
Received 24 Jun 2005 - Decided05/381/PPF
Creation of 3 dwelling units
Seaview Garage Burray
Received 24 Jun 2005 - Decided05/380/LBC
Extend a house
21 East Road Kirkwall KW15 1HZ
Received 23 Jun 2005 - Decided05/379/PPF
Extension to a house
21 East Road Kirkwall KW15 1HZ
Received 23 Jun 2005 - Decided05/378/PPF
Erection of a foodstore and associated car parking
St Clair's Emporium (Land Near) Kirkwall
Received 23 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/377/PPF
Change of use
24 Nicolson Street Kirkwall
Received 17 Jun 2005 - Decided05/376/PPF
Erect a slatted byre
Upper Linklater Twatt
Received 21 Jun 2005 - Decided05/375/PPF
Erect new building to link with existing building
Westray Heritage Centre Westray
Received 22 Jun 2005 - Decided05/374/PPR
Erect a house and attached garage
Upperfield Farm St Ola
Received 22 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/373/PPF
Erect a retirement home for farmer
Hindatoon Farm Harray
Received 22 Jun 2005 - Decided05/372/PPF
Erect bedded cattle court & GP shed
Cotland St Ola
Received 16 Jun 2005 - Decided05/371/AD1
Display/erect signboard
Rapness Terminal (Land Near) Westray
Received 16 Jun 2005 - Decided05/369/PPF
Erection of a dwelling
How Farm Sanday
Received 17 Jun 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