FAQ - What is an Official Community Plan (OCP)?
ROAD MAP & KEY DECISION-MAKING TOOL
The Planning and Development Act, 2007 (the Act) provides municipalities the option to adopt an Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP is a legal, comprehensive policy framework or “road map” that sets out objectives and policies to guide 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 identification and management of environmentally sensitive land, utilities, recreation and tourism, and more.
Future land use (FLU) maps are usually included in OCPs as well. FLU maps act as a visual guide for where broad types of development will directed to over the life span of the OCP, such as designating areas of future residential, commercial and industrial growth, and green space. It is important to highlight that a FLU map is not a prediction of what will happen but rather guides development of what the community would like to happen. Since the OCP is a bylaw, this means that council’s land use decisions must follow the FLU map(s) (and the OCP), however, there is a process to change the FLU map to reflect evolving community circumstances.
While municipalities are not required to adopt an OCP, an OCP is required before a Zoning Bylaw can be adopted.
HOW IS AN OCP USED?
An OCP is not written in stone and can be changed over time to respond to emerging trends, issues, and development opportunities. Because an OCP is not set in stone, an OCP is often considered a "living document"; it can grow and change with emerging community trends and issues through regular reviews and updates.
While all future development must legally follow an OCP, the objectives and policies are designed to be specific enough to guide daily decisions but broad enough to be flexible to respond to future community trends and issues. For example, many OCP objectives and policies are not black and white and purposely avoid (where possible) words like "shall" and "must" and instead use words like "should", "may" or "encourage". This wording provides decision-makers with the flexibility to interpret OCP policies, while still following the intent of the policy or legislation.
When the OCP is proposed to change, the OCP and legislation set out a transparent process on how proposed changes are reviewed and decided on. These processes provide a level of assurance to residents, developers, and business owners that everyone is working from the same "playbook" when proposed changes are being reviewed and decided on.
OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Policies are important components of an OCP. There are different types of policies such as: flexibly worded policies, targeted policies, "action" policies and good planning practice policies. An OCP is more than just a set of individual policies though, as one policy can be dependent on, or support, other policies.
Section 32(2) of Act references that an OCP must contain “statements of policy” with respect to The Statements of Provincial Interest (there are 16 of them), among other topics. The following paragraphs explain the difference between a "statement" and a "statement of policy" and what role they play in the development review process.
Statement: means the context or background sections of an OCP, for example a community's recreation and park profile. Policies then flow, or are informed by, these statements.
Statements are not numbered, they are simply a summary of how the community looked and felt at a moment in time, and may be out of date the moment the OCP comes into force. An example of a statement:
Statements of policy are numbered. An example of a "statement of policy":
"Policy 1: Council will encourage a diversity of housing types."
"Policy 2: Council should align their culture and heritage plan milestones with grant opportunities."
As shown in the previous "Statement" section above, the background section of an OCP may contain "grey" wording that sounds like a policy, or certain background points might be out of date shortly after the OCP is adopted. This is why only numbered "statements of policy" are considered when making decisions regarding conformance with the OCP or tracking progress.
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 (the Act) provides municipalities the option to adopt an Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP is a legal, comprehensive policy framework or “road map” that sets out objectives and policies to guide 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 identification and management of environmentally sensitive land, utilities, recreation and tourism, and more.
Future land use (FLU) maps are usually included in OCPs as well. FLU maps act as a visual guide for where broad types of development will directed to over the life span of the OCP, such as designating areas of future residential, commercial and industrial growth, and green space. It is important to highlight that a FLU map is not a prediction of what will happen but rather guides development of what the community would like to happen. Since the OCP is a bylaw, this means that council’s land use decisions must follow the FLU map(s) (and the OCP), however, there is a process to change the FLU map to reflect evolving community circumstances.
While municipalities are not required to adopt an OCP, an OCP is required before a Zoning Bylaw can be adopted.
HOW IS AN OCP USED?
- An OCP is a powerful decision-making tool as all municipal policies, plans and regulations must be in alignment with the OCP Bylaw.
- Guides mayor and council through potentially complex or contentious land use decisions.
- Council, municipal staff, developers and professionals (architects, engineers, planners, etc.) use an OCP to understand community vision, opportunities and challenges as they relate to housing, economic development, culture and heritage, hazard land, etc.
- By reading the OCP, the public can gain a better understanding of: the community's land use and development history, how community opportunities and challenges are planned to be addressed over the long term, and what changes may happen in their community in the future.
- Allows council and the public to monitor progress on community vision, goals, objectives and policies.
An OCP is not written in stone and can be changed over time to respond to emerging trends, issues, and development opportunities. Because an OCP is not set in stone, an OCP is often considered a "living document"; it can grow and change with emerging community trends and issues through regular reviews and updates.
While all future development must legally follow an OCP, the objectives and policies are designed to be specific enough to guide daily decisions but broad enough to be flexible to respond to future community trends and issues. For example, many OCP objectives and policies are not black and white and purposely avoid (where possible) words like "shall" and "must" and instead use words like "should", "may" or "encourage". This wording provides decision-makers with the flexibility to interpret OCP policies, while still following the intent of the policy or legislation.
When the OCP is proposed to change, the OCP and legislation set out a transparent process on how proposed changes are reviewed and decided on. These processes provide a level of assurance to residents, developers, and business owners that everyone is working from the same "playbook" when proposed changes are being reviewed and decided on.
OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Policies are important components of an OCP. There are different types of policies such as: flexibly worded policies, targeted policies, "action" policies and good planning practice policies. An OCP is more than just a set of individual policies though, as one policy can be dependent on, or support, other policies.
Section 32(2) of Act references that an OCP must contain “statements of policy” with respect to The Statements of Provincial Interest (there are 16 of them), among other topics. The following paragraphs explain the difference between a "statement" and a "statement of policy" and what role they play in the development review process.
Statement: means the context or background sections of an OCP, for example a community's recreation and park profile. Policies then flow, or are informed by, these statements.
Statements are not numbered, they are simply a summary of how the community looked and felt at a moment in time, and may be out of date the moment the OCP comes into force. An example of a statement:
- "There is a lack of seniors housing in the community."
- "The community hall is located on Main St. and is in disrepair. Council is looking into grant opportunities to bring the community hall up to code."
Statements of policy are numbered. An example of a "statement of policy":
"Policy 1: Council will encourage a diversity of housing types."
"Policy 2: Council should align their culture and heritage plan milestones with grant opportunities."
As shown in the previous "Statement" section above, the background section of an OCP may contain "grey" wording that sounds like a policy, or certain background points might be out of date shortly after the OCP is adopted. This is why only numbered "statements of policy" are considered when making decisions regarding conformance with the OCP or tracking progress.
MORE INFORMATION
Click here for more information on Official Community Plans from the Community Planning branch, Ministry of Government Relations.