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9,614 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided05/367/PPF
Demolition of existing house & creation of a site
Lower Stanger Birsay
Received 21 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/366/PPF
Creation of 82 house sites
The Meadows Kirkwall
Received 20 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/365/PPF
Renovate and extend a former dwelling house
Ness Papa Westray
Received 20 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/364/PPF
Erect a house
Stenadale (Land Near) Orphir
Received 15 Jun 2005 - Decided05/363/PPF
Change of use from outbuilding to holiday cottage
Crowsnest South Ronaldsay
Received 15 Jun 2005 - Decided05/362/AGR
Form silage pit
Housebay Stronsay
Received 15 Jun 2005 - Decided05/361/PPF
Erect a house
Annfield (Land Near) Tankerness
Received 13 Jun 2005 - Decided05/360AGR
Erect machinery and feed store
Hunton Stronsay
Received 14 Jun 2005 - Decided05/359/PPF
Convert barn to form dwelling
Castlehill Sanday
Received 14 Jun 2005 - Decided05/357/PPF
Change 2 holiday homes to a dwelling house and erect garage
Eistigar Cairston Stromness
Received 13 Jun 2005 - Decided05/356/PPF
Extend a house
Quoyblackie Rendall KW17 2HA
Received 10 Jun 2005 - Decided05/355/AGR
Erect of general purpose shed
Mossbank St Ola
Received 10 Jun 2005 - Decided05/354/AGR
Erect bedded cattle court
Avelshay Rousay
Received 9 Jun 2005 - Decided05/353/AGR
Erect grain store
Cott Farm Rousay
Received 9 Jun 2005 - Decided05/352/PPF
Extend a house
Hewin Costa Evie KW17 2NL
Received 9 Jun 2005 - Decided05/351/PPF
Erection of a house
Caldene (Land Near) St Ola
Received 10 Jun 2005 - Decided05/350/PPF
Extend a house (Conservatory)
Norlan 9 Islands View Road Kirkwall KW15 1YP
Received 9 Jun 2005 - Decided05/349/PPO
Siting of 2 houses
Dearwood (Land Near) Carness Road Kirkwall
Received 7 Jun 2005 - Decided05/348/AGR
Erect general purpose agricultural shed
Ocean View Braehead Westray
Received 9 Jun 2005 - Decided05/341/PPF
Extend a house
Vestray Cottage Westray
Received 6 Jun 2005 - Decided05/340/PPF
Erect House (General alterations and improvements to a building)
Firth Court East Road Kirkwall
Received 2 Jun 2005 - Decided05/339/PPF
Extension to a shop
Trading Post Back Road St Margaret's Hope
Received 3 Jun 2005 - Decided05/337/PPF
Erection of a house
Chinyan (Land Near) Dounby
Received 3 Jun 2005 - Decided05/336/PPF
Replace 6m WTG tower with a higher tower (max. of 11m)
Rapness Terminal Westray
Received 1 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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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