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9,614 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided05/109/PPF
Erect a House with integral garage
Site 2 Norseman Village Rendall
Received 1 Mar 2005 - Decided05/347/RPF
Erect new public toilet block
No.4 Barrier (Land Near) Burray
Received 8 Jun 2005 - Decided05/346/AGR
Erection of a general purpose shed
Upperfield Farm St Ola
Received 8 Jun 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/220/PPF
Extend a farm building by 2600 cubic metres
Abutting Hangar/Agri-shed Lamb Holm Holm
Received 11 Apr 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/219/PPF
Form temporary contractor's compound, Stenness WWTP and sewers
Clouston Corner (Land Near) Stenness
Received 13 Apr 2005 - Decided05/218/PPO
Siting of a house
Skelbister Orphir
Received 12 Apr 2005 - Decided05/217/PPF
Change of use, incorporate barn into house extension
Waterfield Deerness
Received 12 Apr 2005 - Decided05/216/PPF
Erect a conservatory
Daisybank Toab Road Holm KW17 2SA
Received 12 Apr 2005 - Decided05/215/AGR
Erect Implement Shed
Langie Orphir
Received 13 Apr 2005 - Decided05/214/PPF
Extend a house
Braesdene Holm
Received 11 Apr 2005 - Decided05/212/PPF
Alterations to a house
Virginia Cottage Harray
Received 14 Apr 2005 - Decided05/211/PPF
Change of use, part of domestic store to office
Wardhill Road Stromness
Received 26 Apr 2005 - Decided05/257/PPF
Locating septic tank
Riverside Cottage Myrtle Lane Sanday
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Withdrawn/Returned05/256
Alter and extend a house
36 Craigie Crescent Kirkwall KW17 2SS
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/255/PPF
Repositioning of house within boundary of DCN 04/15/00102/PPF
Lower Hobbister Stenness
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/252/PPF
Steading development, Phase 3
Netherton Holm
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/251/PPF
Erection of a dwelling house
9 Soulisquoy Place (ex-plot 10) Kirkwall KW15 1TJ
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/250/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Quindry South Ronaldsay
Received 25 Apr 2005 - Decided05/249/PPF
Housing Development of 32 Houses
Citadel Road Stromness
Received 25 Apr 2005 - Decided05/247/PPF
Extend a house
Tresness Rear Of Breckan Kirkwall
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/246/PPO
Siting of a house
Cornesquoy Near Orphir
Received 22 Apr 2005 - Decided05/264/PPF
Erect a dwelling-house/self-catering holiday cottage
Lower Rumin (Land Near) Rackwick Hoy
Received 30 Apr 2005 - Decided05/263/PPF
Steading development Phase 4
Netherton Holm
Received 28 Apr 2005 - Decided05/262/PPF
Erection of a house with integral garage
37 Scapa Crescent (Land Near) Kirkwall
Received 27 Apr 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