Planning Circulars

A number of the changes were made to the Local Government Act in 2001. As a result, there are a number of circulars and bulletins for planning and land use management which provide some practical considerations for implementation and administration of the changes. Since some plans and bylaws are only reviewed every five years or more, these circulars may still be relevant today. For example: a broad focus for official community plans; improved consultation; the rationale for the reduction in the number of official community plan and zoning bylaws that regional districts need to submit to the ministry for approval; the identification of related provisions; and, some practical considerations
 

Circular No. 03:01 reviews the Regional District Bylaw Approval Exemption Regulation 279/2003, brought into effect by Ministerial Order No. M320/2003. The regulation exempts certain regional district official community plans (OCP) and zoning bylaws from the requirement for ministerial approval under the Local Government Act (LGA). The regulation is intended to exempt bylaws that allow very small scale development or that do not apply solely to Crown lands, and it is focussed on streamlining the development approval process.
 

Circular No. 00:40 reviews a number of the changes made to the Local Government Act in January 2001, and provides some practical considerations for implementation and administration. Key components include: a broad focus for official community plans; provincial policy guidelines; improved consultation; and, proposed reductions in the number of official community plan and zoning bylaws that regional districts need to submit to the ministry for approval.
 

The additional ten bulletins mentioned in Circular No. 00:40 provide more detail on the rationale behind the changes; identify related provisions; and, suggest practical considerations and transitional provisions.
 

Circular No. 00:43 provides clarification on implementation issues including Board of Variance sections, official community plan schedule requirements, and official community plan transition requirements.

• Planning Circular No. 03:01: Regional District Bylaw Approval Exemption Regulation 279/2003
• Planning Circular No. 00:40: Planning and Land Use Management
• Planning Circular No. 00:43: Clarification on Implementation
• Additional Planning and Land Use Management information