The Strong Communities (Planning Amendment) Act, 2004, (Bill 26) received Royal Assent on November 30, 2004. The Act is the first step in planning reform. It puts the public first and opens up the planning process by allowing more time for public scrutiny, boosting environmental protection and better protecting the public interest.
The Strong Communities (Planning Amendment) Act, 2004, (Bill 26) includes measures that:
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put the public interest first by preventing appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board of urban expansions that are opposed by elected municipal governments;
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give the public a stronger voice in the planning decisions that affect their communities by increasing the time available for municipalities to review planning applications before they may be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board;
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ensure the application of provincial planning policies by changing the implementation standard for applying the Provincial Policy Statement. The reforms require that land use planning decisions “shall be consistent with”, rather than “have regard to”, the Provincial Policy Statement - the document setting out the province’s priorities for how communities grow and how municipal governments protect the environment (the “shall be consistent with” standard takes effect once it is proclaimed to coincide with the new Provincial Policy Statement, and
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protect broader provincial interests by enabling the Minister to advise the Ontario Municipal Board if a proposed official plan, zoning by-law or related amendments will, or are likely to, adversely affect matters of provincial interest. The Lieutenant Governor in Council would then finally determine the decisions respecting such matters.