Master Plan

The Major Directions of the Development Plan
revision 2011, click here

The Major Directions of the Development Plan Questionnaire
revision 2011 click here

(extract from the web site of the Department of Municipal Affairs)

The Master Plan is the basic planning document that establishes the guidelines for the spatial and physical organization of a municipality and presents a planning overview for the whole of the territory.

The Master Plan is the municipality’s most important planning and territorial organization document. It contains planning policies adopted by Council that will guide all future decisions in planning matters.

The Master Plan is a decision-making tool that is essential to the good management of a municipality. This is why great care must be taken to ensure that the plan is centered on practical solutions; that it takes into consideration financial realities; and that it is easily managed locally. It should also contain adequate documentation that will facilitate its comprehension. (ex. project indexes, monitoring).

With this kind of tool in hand Council knows where it is headed. It has a management tool that will help direct a number of decisions in various sectors. (ex. housing, commerce, transportation, environmental protection, leisure, etc.) Without such an over-all planning tool, pressure from various sources might cause decisions to be made that, in the long run, result in unexpected consequences.

Thus, promoters know Council’s position on any given planning issue. A plan reassures investors. Without such a plan, Council does not have a document setting out the image of those projects that the municipality wants. If Council’s intentions are ambiguous, developers may go elsewhere.

When it is coordinated with sound financial administration, the plan allows for quick adjustments should a project fail or new projects arise.

Finally, the plan allows for a better understanding of the logic behind regulations, and the various financial, fiscal, and promotional measures that can be used to implement it.

To view DEVELOPMENT REVISION PLAN DOCUMENTS, please click here.