The Burlington Official Plan is a policy document that guides decision-making on land use, development and resource management.
The Official Plan sets out a clear vision and establishes strategic priorities for:
- Sustainable growth
- Complete communities
- Environment and sustainability
- Economic activity
- Infrastructure
- Design excellence
- Land use
- Public participation and engagement
Developed through planning analysis, research and collaboration with the community and stakeholders, the Official Plan blends local community interests with Regional and Provincial policy direction. The Official Plan also:
- Ensures all new development contributes to the City's long-term vision
- Guides development within certain parameters, allowing for private sector flexibility while the public interest is maintained
- Includes criteria for when and how changes to the Official Plan are considered
Burlington Official Plan, 1997 documents |
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The Burlington Official Plan, 1997, was approved by Halton Region, with modifications, on March 5, 1997. Due to a number of appeals, certain parts of the plan were referred to the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the Ontario Municipal Board) for a decision. The following Official Plan documents were approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2008. Content and maps were updated in 2019. View the full Burlington Official Plan, 1997 or view the individual sections below: 3. Land Use Policies - Urban Planning Area 4. Land Use Policies - Rural Planning Area |
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Burlington Official Plan, 2020 documents |
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Burlington's new Official Plan was adopted by City Council on April 26, 2018 and approved, with modifications, by Halton Region on November 30, 2020. The Planning Act states that all parts of an approved Official Plan that are not subject to appeal will come into effect on the day after the end of the appeal period. That date was December 22, 2020 for the Burlington Official Plan. The record prepared for the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) by Halton Region on December 23, 2020 states that a total of 48 appeals were filed regarding the Burlington Official Plan, 2020. You can view a list of the appeals below. For those parts of the plan which have been referred to the OLT for a decision, relevant sections of the Burlington Official Plan, 1997 (as amended) will remain in effect until the applicable appeals have been resolved. As the OLT process advances, the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 is subject to change and the interim working version will require periodic updates. The interim working version of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 must be read along with all appeals, as well as any orders and decisions resulting out of subsequent OLT proceedings, and users must satisfy themselves as to the legal status and applicability of the policies. The interim working version of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 is provided for information purposes only. For legal purposes, reference should be made to the original certified documents which are on file with the City Clerk including the April 26, 2018 City of Burlington adopting bylaw (By-law 024-2018), the Nov. 30, 2020 Halton Region Notice of Decision and all subsequent orders and decisions issued by the OLT. You can view the status of the OLT case, scheduled hearings, and orders and decisions that have been issued by visiting the Ontario Land Tribunal's website and searching case number ''OLT-22-002219” (legacy case number PL210040). View the full Burlington Official Plan, 2020 (interim working version) or view the individual sections below: 4. Environment and Sustainability 6. Infrastructure, Transportation and Utilities 8. Land Use Policies – Urban Area 9. Land Use Policies – Rural Area 10. Land Use Policies – North Aldershot 11. Public Participation and Engagement |
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List of appeals to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 |
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View the list of appeals to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 below:
For more information on an individual appeal, please contact the Policy and Community section using the contact information below. |
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Burlington Official Plan, 2020 project history |
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View the timeline below for a history of key dates for the new Official Plan project. For more information or additional documents, please contact the Policy and Community section using the contact information below.
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Related Projects
| Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA) |
| The City is undertaking area-specific planning for the Aldershot GO, Burlington GO and Appleby GO Major Transit Station Areas. For more information, visit Get Involved Burlington - Major Transit Station Areas. |
| Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) |
| The Integrated Mobility Plan will guide how people and goods move in and through Burlington, focusing on providing people of all ages and abilities with more travel choices. For more information, visit Get Involved Burlington - Integrated Mobility Plan. |
| Housing Strategy |
| The Housing Strategy builds on and supports Halton Region’s Housing Strategy and sets out key actions to provide more housing options for current and future residents. For more information, visit Get Involved Burlington - Housing Strategy. |
| Interim Control By-law Land Use Study (ICBL) |
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On March 5, 2019, the City of Burlington implemented an Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL), which temporarily restricts development on certain lands while a land use study is undertaken. The ICBL Land Use Study area included the [former] Downtown Urban Growth Centre and lands around the Burlington GO Station. The purpose of the study was to:
On January 30 2020, Burlington City Council approved the final recommendations of the ICBL Land Use Study, including proposed Official Plan Amendment 119 to the Burlington Official Plan, 1997 and proposed Zoning By-law Amendment 2020.418- as brought forward through staff report PL-01-20 on January 14, 2020 and revised through the memo received by Council on January 30, 2020. A number of appeals were filed regarding both Official Plan Amendment 119 and Zoning Bylaw Amendment 2020.418, keeping the ICBL development restrictions in place until appeals are resolved by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). On Oct. 15, 2021, the OLT granted the City’s motion to lift the development restrictions on all lands subject to the ICBL except for those impacted by Zoning Bylaw Amendment 2020.418, located around the Burlington GO station. This means that the City can issue building permits for development in the Downtown that complies with the zoning that was in effect before the ICBL, and Community Planning staff can bring forward recommendations for Council decisions on Planning Act applications in the area. On May 29, 2022, the OLT issued a decision regarding the settlement of site-specific appeals relating to a portion of the remaining lands impacted by the ICBL, at 2243 and 2269 Fairview Street and 846 Drury Lane (“Fairview LP lands”). By operation of s. 38(6.1) of the Planning Act, the OLT ordered that the Fairview LP lands be released from Interim Control By-law No. 2019-10. A map of the remaining lands subject to development restrictions under the ICBL is available here. You can view the status of the OLT case, scheduled hearings, and orders and decisions that have been issued by visiting the Ontario Land Tribunal's website and searching case number ''OLT-22-002483” (legacy case number PL200150). |
How to keep up to date
You can stay involved and keep up to date with Burlington's Official Plan by:
- Subscribing to this page
- Subscribing to our news and notices
- Following our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts
Official Plan Frequently Asked Questions
| What is an Official Plan? |
| An Official Plan is a legal document, required by the Province of Ontario, that describes a municipality's long-term land-use strategy. It is prepared with input from the public and helps to ensure that future planning and development meets the specific needs of the community. |
| How does the Official Plan manage change? |
| The Official Plan is not a static or inflexible document. Sometimes the plan itself changes to reflect environmental, social and economic trends, to respond to special circumstances and to remove strategies that are no longer applicable. The Official Plan anticipates change and has mechanisms to manage change. For example, it contains criteria for evaluating intensification and infill proposals, and for evaluating land use conversion proposals. While it is intended to provide clear direction, it is intentionally flexible because it is a long-term plan. |
| How are changes made to the Official Plan? |
| The Official Plan can change by amending maps and/or policies. These amendments follow a process prescribed by the Planning Act and can be initiated by an applicant or the municipality. For more information on this process, or to learn how to book a pre-consultation meeting for your project, visit our Official Plan Amendments page. |
| How does the Regional Official Plan relate to the Official Plan? |
| The Halton Regional Official Plan has policies that guide how Halton grows and develops. It addresses region-wide issues and provides a consistent vision for land use across Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Halton Region approves local official plans to ensure they conform to the Regional Official Plan and Provincial policies. |
| How does the Zoning Bylaw relate to the Official Plan? |
| The Zoning Bylaw is a key document that implements the Official Plan. Where the Official Plan provides high level direction on land use, built form and density ranges, the Zoning Bylaw provides specific direction on location, orientation and form of buildings, as well as density, height, parking requirements and coverage, among other considerations. As a result, the full range of uses permitted in the Plan may not be permitted in a given zone.
The Official Plan and the Zoning Bylaw are used in combination with each other. Once an applicable policy change has been approved in the Official Plan, the Zoning Bylaw must be updated. However, until the Zoning Bylaw is amended to implement a new Official Plan policy, the existing Zoning Bylaw provisions remain in force. |
| Who should I contact for more information about the Official Plan? |
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For questions about the applicable Official Plan policies and/or zoning permissions for a specific property or site, or to inquire about a development project, contact the Community Planning Department: using the “Contact Us” information in the sidebar. For general questions about the Official Plan, you may email Policy and Community directly. For mail or telephone inquiries use the Community Planning Department “Contact Us” information and specify that your inquiry is for the Policy and Community section. |