Orkney planning approval rate

Orkney council approved 96.0% of planning applications and refused 4.0%, based on 7,933 decisions analysed. Ranked 199th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

96.0%

overall approval rate

7,933

Decisions analysed

7,615

Approved

318

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Orkney? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Orkney. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (7,933 decided)

96.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Orkney — mined from 7,933 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (1,048 decided)

95.9%

Outbuilding (876 decided)

97.6%

Change of Use (Residential) (486 decided)

97.1%

Extension (General) (133 decided)

96.2%

Flat Conversion (54 decided)

94.4%

Annex (42 decided)

100.0%

Conservatory (41 decided)

100.0%

Dormer (36 decided)

97.2%

Rear Extension (11 decided)

90.9%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Orkney. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

West Mainland (1,632 decided)

95.4%

East Mainland, South Ronaldsay & Burray (1,403 decided)

95.5%

Kirkwall West & Orphir (1,360 decided)

96.5%

North Isles (1,188 decided)

97.7%

Stromness & South Isles (1,175 decided)

95.8%

Kirkwall East (1,098 decided)

95.3%

Wards in Orkney

West Mainland

95.4% approval · 1,632 decisions

East Mainland, South Ronaldsay & Burray

95.5% approval · 1,403 decisions

Kirkwall West & Orphir

96.5% approval · 1,360 decisions

North Isles

97.7% approval · 1,188 decisions

Stromness & South Isles

95.8% approval · 1,175 decisions

Kirkwall East

95.3% approval · 1,098 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Orkney, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/050/CLOPUD

Extend a house · West Mainland · Fri 20 Feb 2026

Approved

26/036/PN

Install a 2.5 metre tower extension, nine antennas, 15 RFFs, and ancillary devel · Kirkwall West & Orphir · Mon 02 Feb 2026

Approved

25/435/APN

Erect a GP shed · West Mainland · Thu 18 Dec 2025

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Orkney, 1 in 25 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Orkney
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Orkney Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 7,933 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Highland Shetland Moray Aberdeenshire

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