What is an official community plan (OCP)?
An Official Community Plan (OCP) is the primary long-range planning tool used by municipalities to guide their growth and development over a set period of time. The Provincial Government authorizes municipalities to adopt community plans pursuant to the provisions of Part 26 of the Local Government Act which states:
"An official community plan is a statement of objectives and policies to guide decisions on land use planning and land use management, within the area covered by the plan, respecting the purposes of local government."
In addition, an OCP must contain policy statements and map designations respecting the following:
- Residential development and housing needs over a period of at least five years;
- Commercial, industrial and institutional and other types of land uses;
- The location and area of sand and gravel deposits suitable for future extraction;
- Restrictions on the use of environmentally sensitive and hazardous lands;
- The approximate location and phasing of any major road and infrastructure systems; and
- The location and type of present and proposed public facilities.
The OCP provides guidance to: economic, environmental, physical design and development; economic, environmental, and social well-being; and provision of amenities, services and transportation systems.
Once adopted, an OCP serves as a foundation for all policies, regulations and decisions pertaining to land use and development in a municipality. In approving the OCP, the District of Barriere has considered the interests of the individual landowners and residents within the plan area and balanced those interests with the needs of the community as a whole. The OCP is intended to provide guidance on land use and development issues within the plan area using a 25 year planning period, with 5 year reviews.
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