This service is managed by Planning and Regulatory Services
Application search and submission
Search for a Planning Application
Our Public Access service lets you search for and view information on planning applications and appeals. You can:
- View the basic details of any application submitted since 2005
- View plans and documents for applications submitted since January 2008
- Check whether an appeal has been lodged, for cases going back to 2003
- Follow the progress of an application
- Create and save your own weekly lists of applications
- View planning applications and appeals online
New applications and their documents are added to the service within 5 working days of being received, once they have passed our initial validation checks.
Before using Public Access, please read the Disclaimer and Copyright document. You'll be asked to confirm you've read and understood it before continuing.
Related resources
-
Disclaimer and copyright document 2013
This document contains disclaimers about Orkney Islands Council’s online Planning Register, including warnings that it may not show a full planning history and that online decisions aren’t formal legal notifications. It explains copyright rules for plans, maps, photographs and other application documents, which may generally be used only for consultation and checking developments. It also outlines how personal and sensitive information is removed and provides contact details for reporting concerns.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
To protect personal privacy, we remove personal details - such as phone numbers, email addresses and signatures - from documents published online, in line with data protection law. This applies to all documents on the service, including public comments.
Comment on an Application
You can comment on a planning application through the Public Access service. You'll need to confirm you've read the Disclaimer and Copyright document first.
Comments submitted this way are published online as part of the application record, with personal details removed as described above.
For more detail on how to comment, see our separate page: Commenting on a Planning Application.
Track an Application's Progress
If you register for a Public Access account, you can track specific applications. Once registered, enter the reference number of any application you're interested in, and you'll get an email whenever its status changes or a new document is added.
Submit an Application Online
We encourage applicants to submit planning applications electronically through ePlanning Scotland, the Scottish Government's online planning service. You can use it to:
- Find out about the planning process
- Apply for planning permission
- Download application forms and guidance notes
- Submit an appeal or a notice of review against a planning decision
Guidance on completing and submitting forms is built into the ePlanning website, or you can download the ePlanning Scotland User Guide.
Related resources
-
The Scottish Government - E-Planning User Guide
This document contains the February 2023 user guide for ePlanning.scot, explaining how the public and professionals can create accounts and submit planning applications or appeals online. It covers managing accounts, sharing proposals with other users and organisations, finding site locations, choosing forms, completing applications, adding plans and supporting documents, calculating and paying fees, and submitting applications. It also explains how to add documents after submission, delete or restore proposals, use hints and tips, and contact support.
Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.
Most documents submitted as part of an application will be published online, with personal details removed as described above.
Paper Copies and Document Access
If you need a paper copy of a decision notice or drawings, these can be purchased from Development Management for a fee. Paper copies are only issued to:
- The original applicant or agent
- The current property owner
- Another party who can show a legitimate interest in the application