FAQ - What is an Official Community Plan (OCP)?
BLUEPRINT & KEY POLICY DOCUMENT
The Planning and Development Act, 2007 (PDA) provides municipalities the option to adopt an Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP is a legal policy document or “blueprint” that sets out objectives and policies to support the physical, environmental, economic, social and cultural development of a community. It tells the story of where a community is now and sets out a 20 year plan of where a community would like to be in the future. An OCP covers topics like: future residential and commercial development, the management of environmentally sensitive land, utilities, recreation and tourism, and more. An OCP is not set in stone; it can grow and change with emerging community trends and issues through regular reviews and updates.
While municipalities are not required to adopt an OCP, an OCP is required before a Zoning Bylaw can be adopted.
OCP OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Statements and policies are important pieces of an OCP. Section 32(2) of the PDA references that an OCP must contain “statements of policy” with respect to The Statements of Provincial Interest, among other topics.
Statement: means the context or background sections of an OCP (e.g. the community's recreation and park profile). Policies then flow from these statements, i.e. "statements of policy".
An example of a statement: "The majority of housing in the village is single family dwellings."
Policy: policies are built from the "statements" or background sections ("statements of policy").
An example of a policy informed by "statements" (i.e. background sections): "Council will allow a diversity of housing types in all residential districts."
Only numbered objectives and policies ("statements of policy") are referred to by council, administration and the Development Officer during the decision-making process and when the Minister of Government Relations is reviewing an OCP amendment or subdivision application. "Statements" in the background section of an OCP are not referred to when making a decision because the background section is out of date the moment it comes into force, and sometimes the background section may contain grey wording that sounds like a policy; those policy-like statements not considered a "statement of policy", only the numbered policies are considered "statements of policy".
FLEXIBILTY
While all future development must legally follow an OCP, objectives and policies usually avoid words like "shall" and "must" by design and instead use words like "should", "may" or "encourage". This wording provides decision-makers flexible policies to support community development.
A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY
While an OCP is not written in stone and can be changed over time to respond to emerging trends, issues, and development opportunities, an OCP and Zoning Bylaw provides a level of certainty to developers, residents, and businesses, allowing them to make informed decisions about investing and living in the community. Certainty doesn't necessarily mean that an OCP policy or zoning district will stay the same forever; it also means certainty in processes, such as how permits and amendments are reviewed and how the public can provide feedback.
KEY DECISION MAKING AND TRACKING TOOL
MORE INFORMATION
Click here for more information on Official Community Plans from the Community Planning branch, Ministry of Government Relations.
The Planning and Development Act, 2007 (PDA) provides municipalities the option to adopt an Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP is a legal policy document or “blueprint” that sets out objectives and policies to support the physical, environmental, economic, social and cultural development of a community. It tells the story of where a community is now and sets out a 20 year plan of where a community would like to be in the future. An OCP covers topics like: future residential and commercial development, the management of environmentally sensitive land, utilities, recreation and tourism, and more. An OCP is not set in stone; it can grow and change with emerging community trends and issues through regular reviews and updates.
While municipalities are not required to adopt an OCP, an OCP is required before a Zoning Bylaw can be adopted.
OCP OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Statements and policies are important pieces of an OCP. Section 32(2) of the PDA references that an OCP must contain “statements of policy” with respect to The Statements of Provincial Interest, among other topics.
Statement: means the context or background sections of an OCP (e.g. the community's recreation and park profile). Policies then flow from these statements, i.e. "statements of policy".
An example of a statement: "The majority of housing in the village is single family dwellings."
Policy: policies are built from the "statements" or background sections ("statements of policy").
An example of a policy informed by "statements" (i.e. background sections): "Council will allow a diversity of housing types in all residential districts."
Only numbered objectives and policies ("statements of policy") are referred to by council, administration and the Development Officer during the decision-making process and when the Minister of Government Relations is reviewing an OCP amendment or subdivision application. "Statements" in the background section of an OCP are not referred to when making a decision because the background section is out of date the moment it comes into force, and sometimes the background section may contain grey wording that sounds like a policy; those policy-like statements not considered a "statement of policy", only the numbered policies are considered "statements of policy".
FLEXIBILTY
While all future development must legally follow an OCP, objectives and policies usually avoid words like "shall" and "must" by design and instead use words like "should", "may" or "encourage". This wording provides decision-makers flexible policies to support community development.
A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY
While an OCP is not written in stone and can be changed over time to respond to emerging trends, issues, and development opportunities, an OCP and Zoning Bylaw provides a level of certainty to developers, residents, and businesses, allowing them to make informed decisions about investing and living in the community. Certainty doesn't necessarily mean that an OCP policy or zoning district will stay the same forever; it also means certainty in processes, such as how permits and amendments are reviewed and how the public can provide feedback.
KEY DECISION MAKING AND TRACKING TOOL
- Guides mayor and council through potentially complex or contentious land use decisions.
- Allows council and the public to monitor progress on community objectives.
- Acts as a transparency and accountability tool.
MORE INFORMATION
Click here for more information on Official Community Plans from the Community Planning branch, Ministry of Government Relations.