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Email this pageA Transparent and Accessible Planning Process

This information is available for reference purposes only.

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Reforming Ontario’s planning system is an integral part of the McGuinty government’s commitment to create stronger, more liveable and more sustainable communities.  Through clearer rules, the government’s proposed reforms would make Ontario’s land-use planning system more accountable, effective and transparent.  These reforms would ensure that complete information is provided and more public participation and overall decision-making would take place early in the planning process.  This would give local residents and community leaders more opportunity to play their crucial part in planning our communities.

To provide clarity and certainty within the land-use planning system, proposed changes include:

Complete Applications

  • Enhancing the prescribed information and material that would need to be included in planning applications that involve official plan amendments, zoning by-law amendments, subdivisions and consents.
  • Allowing municipalities, through official plan policies, to establish additional information requirements (e.g., site servicing analysis) in support of planning applications. 

Up-to-Date Planning Documents

  • Requiring municipalities to update their official plans every five years to conform with provincial plans and be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005.
  • Requiring municipalities to update their zoning by-laws within three years of completing a new or revised official plan.

Up-to-Date Decisions

  • Requiring municipal decisions on planning applications to be based on provincial plans and policies in place at the time of their decision.

Protecting Employment Lands

  • Allowing municipalities to refuse proposals to convert employment lands into other uses, with no right to appeal to the OMB except at the time of a comprehensive official plan review.

Early Consultation

  • Requiring applicants to consult with municipalities prior to submitting planning applications.
  • Complete applications would be available for review by the public (e.g., through a public open house).

Regard for Municipal Decisions

  • Supporting local democracy by requiring approval authorities such as the Ontario Municipal Board to “have regard to” decisions made by municipal council.

Official Plan Contents

  • Providing municipalities with prescribed direction on the types of matters that must be addressed in official plans.
  • Requiring municipalities to increase the level of public consultation undertaken during the development of their official plans.

Related Links:

  • Provincial Policy Statement
    This Policy Statement is issued under the authority of Section 3 of the Planning Act. It provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development. Decision-makersimplement the Provincial Policy Statement when making planning decisions.

  • Strong Communities Planning Amednment Act, 2004 
    The Act received Royal Assent on November 30, 2004. It puts the public first, by opening up the planning process by allowing more time for public scrutiny, boosting environmental protection and better protecting the public interest.

  • Citizens Guides to Land-use Planning
    A series of Citizens' Guides has been prepared to help you understand how the land use planning process works in Ontario.