Applications / Official Plan Amendment

Official Plan Amendment

A change to the policies or land use designation that govern your site, decided by Council. One fixed fee, reviewed and signed off by a Registered Professional Planner. From $15,000.

What an Official Plan Amendment is

The Official Plan sets a municipality's long-term land use vision: what each area is designated for, and how much height and density belongs there. An Official Plan Amendment changes those policies or the designation for your site, under Section 22 of the Planning Act, and is decided by Council.

You need one when your proposal conflicts with the Plan itself, not just the zoning. Because the Official Plan sits above the zoning by-law, a rezoning alone cannot carry a proposal the Plan does not support. The case for an amendment is a policy case, and that is what we build.

When you need one

You need an Official Plan Amendment when the Plan does not support your proposal. Common triggers:

The land use you want does not match the site's designation
The height or density you need exceeds what the Plan contemplates
A site-specific policy is required to permit the development
The Plan directs a type of study or built form your proposal departs from

An Official Plan Amendment is often paired with a Zoning By-law Amendment, since the zoning has to be changed to implement the new policy. We confirm whether you need one or both before you commit.

What is included

Every Official Plan Amendment file includes:

Review of the Official Plan, Provincial Policy Statement, and any applicable secondary plan
Pre-application consultation with municipal planning staff
A Planning Justification Report setting out the policy case for the amendment
A draft Official Plan Amendment for the municipality to review
The full application package, prepared and submitted
Responses to staff comments and all re-submissions, as long as the project does not materially change
A licensed Registered Professional Planner directing and signing off on the file

Third-party studies such as traffic, servicing, and environmental work are retained directly by you. We tell you which ones your file needs up front, and coordinate them.

How it works

Phase 1: Review and pre-application

We review the policy framework, confirm what the amendment has to achieve, and meet with municipal staff to scope the application.

Phase 2: Application

We prepare the Planning Justification Report and the draft amendment, assemble the package, and submit.

Phase 3: Through to Council

We respond to staff comments, attend the statutory public meeting, and carry the file through to a Council decision.

From $15,000

excl. HST · fixed fee, confirmed before work begins · re-submissions included

Get a Quote No initial fees or commitment

See how this compares across application types on the full pricing schedule.

FAQ

Official Plan Amendment questions

The Official Plan sets the policy and designation; the zoning by-law sets the detailed rules that implement it. An OPA changes the policy layer, a rezoning changes the rules. When the Plan does not support a proposal, you change the Plan first, usually together with the zoning.

Often yes. If the Official Plan designation does not permit your proposal, you need the amendment to the Plan and a rezoning to implement it. If only the detailed standards are the problem, a rezoning on its own may be enough. We confirm which at the first review.

Policy-level applications usually take longer than a straightforward rezoning, because they involve a broader review and a statutory public process. We give you a realistic timeline for your specific site at the outset.

Yes. Official Plan Amendment decisions, refusals, and non-decisions can be taken to the Ontario Land Tribunal within the legislated timelines. Tribunal representation is quoted separately.

Ready?

Tell us your address and what you want to build. We will confirm whether an Official Plan Amendment is required and what it will cost. No commitment, no hourly clock.

Get a Quote No initial fees or commitment