Planning and Development

The Planning Act outlines the development review process in Ontario. Development applications reviewed at the Regional level in Durham Region are as follows:

• Regional Official Plan Amendments
• Amendments to the Regional Official Plan (ROP) are required when an application does not conform to the existing policies in the plan.
• Local Area Municipal Official Plan Amendments
• If you require an amendment to the Regional Official Plan (ROP), you may be required to submit an application to the local area municipality as well. Contact the appropriate local area municipality to find out if you are required to submit a municipal Official Plan Amendment (OPA).
• Plans of Subdivision, Condominium, and Part-Lot Control
  • A Subdivision, condominium, or part-lot control application is required to divide the land into two or more parcels for development purposes.
  • If your property is located within Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, or Clarington, please contact the appropriate local area municipality.
  • If your property is within the Townships of Uxbridge, Brock, or Scugog, please contact the Region.
• Land Division
• Consents generally include the creation of new lots (e.g. severances), lot line adjustments, easements, rights-of-way, and permission for mortgaging or leasing parts of lots for more than 21 years.
• Contact the Region's Land Division Committee to begin the application process.
• Zoning By-Laws
• Durham Region's eight local area municipalities each have a comprehensive zoning by-law. Zoning by-laws control the use of land and are often comprised of land use restrictions (permitted uses) and technical provisions (setbacks, lot size requirements, etc.).
• You may require an amendment to a zoning by-law if your application doesn't meet the permitted uses outlined in the existing by-law.
• To begin the application process, please contact the appropriate local area municipality.
• Minor Variance
  • A minor variance is a minor adjustment to the zoning by-law, and may be required to approve your application. To begin the process, please contact the appropriate local area municipality.
• Site Plan Applications
  • Site plan applications enables a municipality to exercise site-specific controls over developments
  • Thet are reviewed and approved by the local area municipalities. To begin the process, please contact the appropriate local area municipality

View the Planning and Economic Development Department's fees and charges.

If you are planning to cut down or remove trees within a woodland area, you may need a permit from The Regional Municipality of Durham. To obtain a permit please submit a Tree Cutting Permit application form along with the required documents and a certified cheque to the Durham Region Planning and Economic Development Department for review.

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