What is Planning?
Planning is the consideration of the use of land and resources. Planning examines the community's goals and values for growth and development, provides options on how to reach these goals and minimizes conflict that could arise when trying to reach the goals.
The Planning and Development Department offers the following services:
• administering Municipal Planning Strategies and managing planning applications;
• administering Subdivision By-law, Land Use By-law and development agreements;
• Administering the Heritage Property By-law and Municipal Heritage Property Conversation Grant Work Policy;
• by-law enforcement of Dangerous or Unsightly Premises Policy, Dog By-law and Parking (Windsor);
• Building and fire inspection and permitting;
• civic addressing;
• Geographic Information Services (GIS); and
• Climate Action and Sustainability.
If you wish to meet with staff in person, please call 902-798-8391 ext. 115 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to book an appointment.
Planning Documents
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) allows municipalities to control the development of land by means of municipal planning strategies, land use by-laws and subdivision by-laws. Parts 8 and 9 of the MGA are the key sections devoted to planning and subdivision.
The Planning and Development Department is responsible for planning documents for West Hants Regional Municipality. The documents (Municipal Planning Strategies, Subdivision and Land Use By-laws as well as supporting maps developed for the former towns of Hantsport and Windsor and the rural West Hants municipality are all still in effect. All documents can be found here.
Municipal Planning Strategies are statements of Council's intent for growth and development of a municipal unit. Each consists of policies, text, and maps. Land use (zoning) (LUB) and Subdivision By-laws (SUB) provide the rules to implement the policies of the MPS.
The Planning and Development Department helps Council with the periodic review and update of the planning documents. The review process is time-consuming and involves a lot of background research and public consultation, mostly through public meetings and results in Council adopting revised policies and planning documents.
Applications
When a specific land use is not permitted, you may submit a planning application. We recommend scheduling a meeting or reaching out to one of our planners prior to submitting planning applications to help you find the best way forward to meet your intent.
Municipal Planning Strategy Amendment
The Municipality Planning Strategy (MPS) sets out the land use policy directions for long-term growth and development in the municipality. Changes are sometimes required to allow new development or redevelopment. If your proposal doesn’t conform with the intent of the MPS, you may make an application to request a change to a land designation or to one of the MPS’s policies. Council is guided by its overall vision and policies and good planning practice when considering these applications.
Land Use By-law Amendment
The Land Use By-law (LUB) regulates the use of land such as residential, commercial, industrial or institutional, as well as the:
• location, size and height of buildings or structures
• parking and loading requirements
• other site-specific requirements
A request to amend the LUB may address inconsistencies in the By-law, respond to changing trends, or consider a specific development proposal which meets Council's intention for an area but is not allowed by the LUB. An amendment to the LUB can be either:
(i) an amendment to the zoning map; and/or
(ii) an amendment to the text of the By-law (a change in the wording).
Each must be measured against specific criteria and policy in the MPS to see if the LUB amendment meets Council’s intentions.
Development Agreement
A proposed use for a lot may meet Council’s intention for an area but may require a development agreement, which is a site-specific legal contract between Council and a property owner to establish conditions on the location and design of the proposed development. A development agreement is registered against the title to the lot and applies to the lot even if ownership changes. Development agreements allow Council to consider uses that are not otherwise permitted at the requested location. They can only be used when there is a specific policy in the MPS that authorizes them and the ability to consider the development agreement appears in the Land Use By-law.
Process
A planning application may take approximately 6-8 months to complete. The level of complexity and issues related to your proposal will affect this timeline. Once an application is received the following process is followed:
pdf Land Use By law or Development Agreement Application(192 KB)