Municipal Reporting on Planning Matters - Minister's Regulation under the Planning Act

ERO number
019-6619
Notice type
Regulation
Act
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
February 6, 2023 - March 8, 2023 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
February 6, 2023
to March 8, 2023

Decision summary

On February 6, 2023, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing posted to the Environmental Registry a proposal for a new Minister’s regulation under the Planning Act that would require 29 municipalities in Ontario to report data on planning matters on a quarterly and annual basis. The Ministry decided to proceed with the Minister’s regulation.

Decision details

Feedback Considered

The Ministry reviewed and considered all feedback received on the proposal postings. As a result of this feedback, the Ministry has elected to:

  • Remove the request for 5-year historical data. This request was identified as a significant challenge and would impede municipalities’ ability to report on the current planning-application and geospatial data. Removing this request will enable municipalities to focus efforts on establishing a process for collecting and reporting the other information required through the regulation.
  • Remove the request for water/wastewater geospatial data. Municipalities flagged challenges with collecting this information. Removing this request will reduce the amount of information municipalities are required to report, thereby reducing the overall burden of the regulation.
  • Collect data on residential units built as of right through separate data sources rather than through reporting required under Ontario Regulation 73/23

Context

As part of the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022, the Planning Act was amended to give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the authority to require municipalities and planning boards to report information on planning matters (section 64).

The Ministry is proceeding with the implementation of the Municipal Planning Data Reporting Regulation – Ontario Regulation 73/23. The regulation will provide the Ministry with data that can be used to measure progress towards various Housing Supply Action Plan commitments. This data will also provide the Ministry with information needed to support informed, evidence-based decisions around housing and planning policy.

This regulation also complements the government’s initiative to develop Data Standards for Development and Planning Applications. That project aims to provide consistent rules and guidelines for the exchange of data required for planning and development applications. It will set minimum requirements for interoperability, connectivity, and communication between digital platforms to make sharing data easier.

Regulation Scope

The regulation applies to 29 of Ontario’s largest, fastest-growing municipalities (Schedule 1 of Ontario Regulation 73/23). The Minister may amend the regulation to include additional municipalities as needed. These municipalities will be required to report planning-application information quarterly (Schedule 2 of Ontario Regulation 73/23) and additional information annually (Schedule 3 of Ontario Regulation 73/23).

Planning-application information includes:

  • Official plan amendment
  • Zoning by-law amendment
  • Site plan
  • Minor variance
  • Land severance (consent)
  • Plan of subdivision
  • Plan of condominium
  • Community infrastructure and housing accelerator orders
  • Minister’s zoning orders

Other planning information includes:

  • Areas identified as a Strategic Growth Area with a minimum target
  • Employment areas
  • Employment area conversions
  • Major transit station area boundaries
  • Settlement area boundaries

Comments received

Through the registry

16

By email

0

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

Feedback Considered

The Ministry reviewed and considered all feedback received on the proposal postings. As a result of this feedback, the Ministry has elected to:

  • Remove the request for 5-year historical data. This request was identified as a significant challenge and would impede municipalities’ ability to report on the current planning-application and geospatial data. Removing this request will enable municipalities to focus efforts on establishing a process for collecting and reporting the other information required through the regulation.
  • Remove the request for water/wastewater geospatial data. Municipalities flagged challenges with collecting this information. Removing this request will reduce the amount of information municipalities are required to report, thereby reducing the overall burden of the regulation.
  • Collect data on residential units built as of right through separate data sources rather than through reporting required under Ontario Regulation 73/23

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-6619
Notice type
Regulation
Act
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Proposal posted

Comment period

February 6, 2023 - March 8, 2023 (30 days)

Proposal details

The Minister is considering making a municipal data reporting regulation that would provide accurate and up to date data that the government can use to measure progress towards Housing Supply Action Plan commitments including the construction of 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years. The information proposed for inclusion in the regulation is information municipalities currently collect as part of their planning processes. This minister's regulation will complement the government's initiative to develop Data Standards for Development and Planning Applications. That project aims to provide consistent rules and guidelines for the exchange of data required for planning and development applications. It will set minimum requirements for interoperability, connectivity, and communication between digital platforms to make sharing data easier.

The purpose of this posting is to provide an overview of the proposed regulation.

Approach

The regulation would initially apply to Ontario's largest, fastest-growing municipalities (Appendix 1). The Minister may amend the regulation to include additional municipalities as needed. Municipalities would be required to report planning-approval information quarterly and additional information annually (Appendix 2).

Datapoints and Frequency of Reporting

On a quarterly basis, beginning June 30th, 2023, municipalities would report application data for:

  • official plan amendment applications
  • zoning by-law amendments
  • plans of condominium
  • plans of subdivision
  • site plan applications
  • land severances (consents)
  • minor variances
  • number of housing units built as-of-right

On an annual basis, municipalities will report information on: areas identified as strategic growth areas, areas subject to intensification targets, employment areas and employment area conversions, existing water and wastewater infrastructure, and major transit station area boundaries.

Municipalities would also submit 5-year historical data (from 2018-2022 inclusive) for all datapoints identified. This information would be required to be submitted by December 31, 2023.

Format of Reporting

The proposed format of municipal submissions would include structured data (tables) and machine-readable geospatial data. The Ministry would provide a guidance document including detailed instructions and sample templates to support municipalities.

Method of Reporting

Municipalities would submit their information to a dedicated @ontario.ca e-mail inbox. More information on the reporting process would be detailed in the guidance material.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from February 6, 2023
to March 8, 2023

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