Municipal Official Plan Approval Process

The Places to Grow Act, 2005 requires municipalities located in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan Area to bring their official plans into conformity with the Growth Plan.

An official plan describes a municipal council's policies on how land in that community should be used. It is prepared with input from groups and individuals within the community and helps to ensure that future planning and development will meet the specific needs of each community.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) works closely with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and other partner ministries to ensure effective implementation of the Growth Plan policies and municipal plan conformity exercises.

When submitting a proposed official plan, a municipality is required to provide all the information needed for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make a decision.

When MMAH receives the proposed official plan from the municipality, it reviews the submission, prepares a draft decision, including any proposed modifications to the official plan, and submits it to the municipality for its consideration.  This provides an opportunity for the resolution of any issues and for the municipality to ratify the proposed modifications.

The municipal council responds to the draft decision and provides it to MMAH for consideration. MMAH staff, in collaboration with partner ministry staff, reviews the municipality's response and prepares a recommended final decision to the Minister, who issues a final decision on the official plan. 

For more information on the planning process, please visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's Land Use Planning web pages.