Adelaide Metcalfe - Official Plan Review Survey

An official plan describes your municipal council’s policies on how land in your community should be used. It is prepared with input from your community and helps to ensure that future planning and development will meet the specific needs of your community. An official plan deals with matters including, where new housing, industry, offices and shops will be located, what services like roads, watermains, sewers, parks and schools will be needed, when, and in what order, certain parts of the community will grow and community improvement initiatives. The province of Ontario requires that when council prepares or amends its official plan, it shall be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement issued under the Planning Act. The PPS contains policy directions on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development.

The maps or land use schedules within an official plan show different land uses, infrastructure and resources in the Township. The land use schedules also delineate settlement areas. The PPS defines settlement areas as urban areas and rural settlement areas within municipalities (such as cities, towns, villages and hamlets) that are built-up areas where development is concentrated and which have a mix of land uses and lands which have been designated in an official plan for development over the long-term planning horizon provided for in policy 1.1.2. In cases where land in designated growth areas is not available, the settlement area may be no larger than the area where development is concentrated.