Projects and Activities for Planning and Development Services
Conformity of Local Planning Documents
Provincial legislation requires that local planning documents to conform with the Regional Official Plan and have regard to the Provincial Policy Statement. Moreover, the Region has been delegated the authority to approve local Official Plans and Plan amendments.
Conformity is necessary to:
- Ensure that both local and Regional planning documents are aligned to guide decision-making
- Meet Niagara's vision as identified in the Policy Plan
- Achieve community goals while addressing Provincial interests
- Increase public understanding of local, Regional and Provincial planning requirements
- Remove confusion and uncertainty due to conflicting planning documents
- Provide guidance to the public and the development industry in making decisions while helping to protect important community resources
- Assist the Ontario Municipal Board in making decisions on land use matters
The review of new local Official Plans and Zoning By-laws provides one significant opportunity to achieve conformity with the Policy Plan. Another opportunity is the Region's responsibility for approving local Official Plans and Plan amendments as delegated from the Province. It also provides a key opportunity to ensure that the principles of Smart Growth are implemented locally for site specific development applications.
For more information, contact the Planning and Development Services at 905-980-6000 or by email.