Practical proposed steps for Orkney Islands.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on homes already completed
Walliwall 9A has delivered both rented and shared-equity homes.
A mix of tenures serves different households.
Evidence
Who could lead: Orkney Islands Council.
- Start now
Publish the completed tenure mix clearly.
- Over the next few years
Review occupation, accessibility and defects.
- Over the longer term
Use those lessons in later phases.
How to judge progress
Starting point: June 2026 housing partnership review.
Measure: Count completed homes separately from approvals and starts.
Trade-off: Shared equity and social rent meet different affordability needs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Walliwall 9A homes →
Proposal
Keep pier equipment renewal visible
Four North Isles piers need control and hydraulic-equipment upgrades.
Lifeline services depend on shore equipment as well as vessels.
Evidence
Who could lead: Orkney Islands Council.
- Start now
Publish disruption arrangements before works begin.
- Over the next few years
Coordinate works to protect essential journeys.
- Over the longer term
Track equipment faults and planned maintenance after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: June 2026 contract award.
Measure: Report each pier’s work and availability.
Trade-off: Weather and ferry operations can constrain the work programme.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
North Isles linkspan controls →
Proposal
Support homes where island communities need them
Development trusts have housing projects on five islands.
Small schemes can matter greatly to local services and employment.
Evidence
Who could lead: Orkney Islands Council.
- Start now
Publish intended tenures and allocation routes by island.
- Over the next few years
Support delivery and access to local building trades.
- Over the longer term
Review sustained occupation and local-service needs.
How to judge progress
Starting point: March 2026 project review.
Measure: Report island-level delivery without identifying households.
Trade-off: Small remote schemes can have high costs per home.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Island development-trust housing →
Proposal
Prepare for the winter works programme
The linkspan works are planned for winter 2026–27.
Weather or access disruption could affect the timetable; this is a delivery risk.
Evidence
Who could lead: Orkney Islands Council.
- Start now
Publish contingency travel and communication arrangements.
- Over the next few years
Update island residents when the sequence changes.
- Over the longer term
Review resilience after the equipment is commissioned.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Contract timetable in June 2026.
Measure: Do not treat a contract award as completed renewal.
Trade-off: Keeping services operating may lengthen construction.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
North Isles linkspan controls →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £214,000 (July 2026) in Orkney Islands council area. This is about £18,000 higher than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The average home price is £214,000 (July 2026) in Orkney Islands council area.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average home price →
Walliwall 9A homes →
Island development-trust housing →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
24.8% of people in Orkney Islands council area were aged 65 or over (20 March 2022). People aged 65 or over ranged from 22.1% in Kirkwall East to 30.9% in North Isles — a gap of 8.8 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in North Isles and Kirkwall East; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.8% aged 65 or over; 20 March 2022. People aged 65 or over ranged from 22.1% in Kirkwall East to 30.9% in North Isles — a gap of 8.8 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 6 of 6 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
31.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in Orkney Islands council area. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14% in East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray to 22.3% in North Isles — a gap of 8.3 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in North Isles and East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 31.8% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14% in East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray to 22.3% in North Isles — a gap of 8.3 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 6 of 6 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or higher →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole Orkney Islands council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
North Isles linkspan controls →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Walliwall 9A homes →
North Isles linkspan controls →
Island development-trust housing →
