Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on proposed legislative changes to the Planning Act through Bill 60, the proposed Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025. The following are concerns raised by Planning & Development staff at the City of London.

The proposed changes to the Planning Act would exempt Ministerial decisions outside the Greenbelt Area from having to align with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), allowing for faster approvals of priority projects related to housing, growth, and jobs.

We appreciate the Province’s efforts to streamline decision-making and support priority projects. However, our primary concern is that while municipalities are required to conform to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), and have integrated its policies into their Official Plans, the proposed changes would exempt the Province from adhering to the same standards. The PPS already provides flexibility to address a wide range of planning considerations. Exempting the Province from these policies risks undermining the credibility of the planning framework and could lead to decisions that lack transparency and a clear, evidence-based rationale.

As the proposal currently stands, the Province would be able to make planning decisions without being required to adhere to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), and there is no appeal mechanism available for such decisions. Embedding this authority directly into legislation raises concerns about accountability, as it could be perceived as granting the Province the ability to override established planning rules without consequence. We believe that maintaining consistency and transparency in decision-making is essential to uphold public trust and the integrity of the planning system.

Our recommendation is to maintain the current framework and retain the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) as a binding policy document for all planning decisions, including those made by the Province. This would help ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability across all levels of government in land use planning.