Planning and Development Services

At the Municipality of Port Hope, Planning Services provides guidance to property owners, developers, Council and staff to ensure that all new developments follow the guidelines in the Planning Act, Official Plan, and Zoning By-law.

The Planning Division reviews development proposals and processes various Planning Applications under the Planning Act. These include:

Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments;
Consent to Sever and Minor Variances;
Plan of Subdivision and Plan of Condominium; and
Site Plan Approval.

Find property zoning documents

Planning Guidelines

The Planning Act

The Planning Act is provincial legislation that sets out the ground rules for land use planning in Ontario. It describes how land uses may be controlled, and who may control them.

The purpose of the Act is to:

promote sustainable economic development in a healthy natural environment within a provincial policy framework,
provide for a land use planning system led by provincial policy,
provide for planning processes that are fair by making them open, accessible, timely and efficient.

Provincial Policy Statement

The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development. The Provincial Policy Statement sets the policy framework to regulate the development and use of land, including the creation of the built environment, and management of resources to support the provincial goal of enhancing the quality of life for all Ontarians.

All Planning decisions in Ontario must be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement.

Official Plan

The Municipality of Port Hope Official Plan outlines our strategic land-use plans for the future. The main goals and objectives outlined in the Official Plan include:

Environment
Agriculture
Natural resources
Economic and financial
Social and housing
Transportation and public services
Waterfront

If your development application does not align with the Official Plan, you will need to apply for an Official Plan Amendment. If you would like to view the Official Plan, please email Planning.

Zoning By-law

The Municipality of Port Hope Zoning By-law regulates land use in each area of the Municipality. If your development application does not align with the Zoning By-law you will need to apply for a Zoning By-law Amendment. If you would like to view the Zoning By-law, please email Planning.

Prior to purchasing a property, we recommend that you request a Zoning Compliance Letter, it will provide you with specific details about the zoning of a property and whether there are any outstanding work orders.

Citizen's Guide to Land Use Planning

The Citizen's Guide to Land Use Planning was developed by the Government of Ontario to provide property owners with helpful information about the legislation surrounding land use planning.