Land Use and Development

Community Planning Assistance Grants are available to planning districts and municipalities to financially assist with the preparation of land use by-laws and policies. Funds available through the program help to pay the costs of hiring a qualified planning consultant to research and prepare planning documents. To qualify for provincial cost sharing, the planning authority must meet provincial requirements, including those outlined in The Provincial Planning Regulation, which provides guidance to planning districts and municipalities developing by-laws. It also identifies many studies and analyses critical to effective planning processes.

 

Funding parameters for planning projects under the Community Planning Assistance Program are as follows:

 

Planning districts are eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 for a development plan project based on 60% of actual costs. Municipalities are encouraged to plan on a regional basis, so new planning districts that form, or expanding planning districts that add a new member as a result of amalgamation will be eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 based on 60% of actual costs.

 

Municipalities not members of a planning district are eligible to receive up to $30,000.00 for a development plan based on 50% of actual costs.

 

Planning district-wide zoning by-laws are eligible for a contribution of 60% of the cost to a maximum provincial contribution of $40,000.00; and municipal zoning by-laws are eligible for a grant covering 50% of the cost to a maximum provincial contribution of $20,000.00. Priority may be given to those impacted by amalgamations. A guide to assist municipalities to modernize and apply zoning by-laws will be prepared and will subsequently be available on this website.

 

Planning authorities often undertake studies required to address important planning and land use issues in their communities. These studies might include plans for managing drinking water or wastewater services, supply and demand studies for residential or other land uses, housing needs, transportation, and secondary plans in amalgamated municipalities or where there is a provincial interest.

 

A planning district is eligible to receive 60% of the actual cost to a maximum of $40,000.00 per study that benefits the entire district. A study that is focused on a smaller geographic area, such as a secondary plan that applies to land within a single municipality is eligible to receive 50% of the actual cost to a maximum of $20,000.00 per study, regardless of municipality’s planning district membership.

 

Accurate information on land use is essential to creating effective policy. The program will fund 60% of the costs of gathering detailed land use information and preparing digital land parcel maps to a maximum of $10,000 for each rural municipality.

 

For more information, please contact your local Community and Regional Planning Branch office.