Provincial Policy Statement 2020

The Provincial Policy Statement sets out provincial policy relating to such matters as the development of towns and cities, natural and cultural heritage and natural resource management. The PPS is issued under the Planning Act. It provides policy direction to decision makers on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development. The policies within the PPS focus on the key provincial interests related to land use planning, and all land use decisions in Ontario must be “consistent with the PPS”.

There is a provincial mandate to ensure that aggregate resources are protected for long-term use. The province has declared a provincial interest in maintaining close-to-market supply in order to minimize transportation costs and social and environmental impacts including air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. Over the past four decades and following numerous background studies and policy reviews, the provincial interest in aggregate resource management has remained strong.

Provincial Plans

In certain parts of the province, provincial plans provide more detailed and geographically-specific policies to meet certain objectives, such as managing growth, or protecting agricultural lands and the natural environment. The Greenbelt Plan, Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP), the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP), the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario are examples of geography-specific regional plans. These plans work together with the PPS, and generally take precedence over the PPS in the geographic areas where they apply. While decisions are required to be “consistent with” the PPS, the standard for complying with these provincial plans is more stringent, and municipal decisions are required to “conform” or “not conflict” with the policies in these plans.

Official Plans

An Official Plan is a regional or local policy document which builds upon the PPS and related (relevant) Provincial Plans, and sets out the land use policy directions for long-term growth and development in a municipality. It is required to be consistent with the PPS, and is prepared with input from stakeholders, landowners, and the general public in a community to ensure that current and future planning and development will meet the specific needs of the province and the community.  The Planning Act requires municipalities to update their official plans 'as required' to ensure the official plan conforms with provincial plans and is consistent with the PPS. These updates are required to occur 'no less frequently' than 10 years from a new official plan coming into effect and every five years following. 

The Places to Grow Act  (Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe) requires municipalities to come into conformity prior to 2022.

Because of recent changes to the Provincial Plans and the PPS, as well as the Growth Plan Conformity requirement, many municipalities are actively working on updating their Official Plans.  Please download our new OSSGA Official Plan Dashboard located at the top of this page.

Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan (GGH Growth Plan)

OSSGA continues to work with the government to update the GGH Growth Plan so that it provides for more access to aggregate, while upholding the full force of the Endangered Species Act.  If you would like more information on this initiative please contact OSSGA's Executive Director, Michael McSweeney. 

Official Plans

OSSGA is monitoring Official Plan Updates across the province and is coordinating with producers and consultants where possible.  If you are working on an OP or have questions, please reach out to Sharon Armstrong.