Two or more adjoining municipalities can join to form a Planning District by regulation under The Planning Act. In so doing, the member municipalities gain significant benefits from working together to coordinate their policies and programs relating to land use, development and the provision of public facilities.
The board of a planning district is responsible for:
- The adoption, administration and enforcement of the development plan for the entire district;
- The administration and enforcement of member municipal by-laws, or a district-wide zoning by-law and any secondary plans; and
- Building by-laws of member municipalities, including those dealing with minimum standards of maintenance and occupancy of buildings.
The board of a planning district also may enter into an agreement with member municipalities, the provincial government or an agency of the government, or any other person to develop and maintain transportation systems, utilities or recreational facilitates for the use of member municipalities, or housing facilities in the district.
