Regional Municipality of Niagara - Approval to amend a municipality’s official plan

Decision on instrument

A decision was made on March 4, 2020 to approve, with modifications, Official Plan Amendment 13 to the Region of Niagara's Official Plan, as adopted by By-law 2019-77. Notice of this decision was issued on March 4, 2020.

The modifications within this decision are intended to:

• prevent non-agricultural uses, such as transit-supportive development, from being permitted within prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas;
• protect, to the extent feasible, key natural heritage features, key hydrologic features and key hydrologic areas, in the development, optimization or expansion of existing and planned corridors and supporting facilities;
• ensure that decisions on transit planning and investment will be made to expand transit services;
• ensure that growth and development, such as transit-supportive development, will be directed to settlement areas
• clarify that only the Minister may identify provincially significant employment zones;
• ensure that new infrastructure in the Niagara Escarpment Plan Area meets the requirements of the Niagara Escarpment Plan;
• ensure consistency in terminology with that used in A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (A Place to Grow) and the current Regional Official Plan; and
• clarify what the term "Higher Order Transit" means as referenced in the Regional Official Plan.

Other information

Pursuant to subsections 17 (36.5) and (38.1) of the Planning Act, the decision of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding Official Plan Amendment 13 adopted in accordance with section 17 and 26 is final and not subject to appeal. Accordingly, Official Plan Amendment 13, as approved with modifications by the Minister, came into effect on March 4, 2020.