Official Plan

The Halton Region Official Plan, 1995, was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with modifications, on Nov. 27, 1995. This Office Consolidation includes all subsequent changes to the Plan up to and including July 31, 2026 and is referred to as the (Burlington) Regional Official Plan, 1995. For details on the legal status and applicability of the Burlington Regional Official Plan, 1995 (as amended) refer to the “Explanatory Notes” at the beginning of the Official Plan document.

To help apply the policies of the former Halton Region Official Plan, guidelines were developed by the Region. To view these guidelines, visit halton.ca

View the complete Burlington Regional Official Plan (July 2026 Office Consolidation) or the individual sections below:

The Burlington Official Plan, 1997, was approved by Halton Region, with modifications, on March 5, 1997. This ‘Office Consolidation’ includes all changes to the Plan up to and including July 31, 2026. For details on the legal status and applicability of the Burlington Official Plan, 1997 (as amended) refer to the “Explanatory Notes” at the beginning of the Official Plan document.

View the complete Burlington Official Plan, 1997 (July 2026 Office Consolidation) or the individual sections below:

• Burlington Official Plan 1997 - 2026 07 31
• 1 Policy Framework_Final_2026 07 31
• 2 Functional Policies 2026 07 31
• 3 Land Use Policies Urban Planning Areal_2026 07 31
• 4 Land Use Policies Rural Planning Area_2026 07 31
• 5 North Aldershot Planning Area_2026 07 31
• 6 Implementation_2026 07 31
• 7 Schedules and Tables 2026 07 31
• 8 Definitions 2026 07 31
• Appendices 2026 07 31

The Burlington Official Plan, 2020, was approved by Halton Region, with modifications, on Nov. 30, 2020. This ‘Office Consolidation’ includes all changes to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 up to and including July 31, 2026. For details on the legal status and applicability of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 (as amended) refer to the “Explanatory Notes” at the beginning of the Official Plan document.

View the complete Burlington Official Plan, 2020 (July 2026 Office Consolidation) or the individual sections below:

• Burlington Official Plan 2020 - 2026 07 31
• 0 Table of Contents 2026 07 31
• 1 Introduction 2026 07 31
• 2 Sustainable Growth 2026 07 31
• 3 Complete Communities 2026 07 31
• 4 Environment & Sustainability 2026 07 31
• 5 Economic Activity 2026 07 31
• 6 Infrastructure Transportation & Utilities 2026 07 31
• 7 Design Excellence 2026 07 31
• 8 Land Use Urban Area 2026 07 31
• 9 Land Use Rural Area 2026 07 31
• 10 Land Use North Aldershot 2026 07 31
• 11 Public Participation & Engagement 2026 07 31
• 12 Implementation & Interpretation 2026 07 31
• 13 Definitions 2026 07 31
• 14 Schedules and Tables 2026 07 31
• Appendices 2026 07 31

Official Plan Amendments (OPAs) are changes to the Official Plan undertaken to implement policy directions, respond to emerging planning matters, or advance strategic initiatives.

For more information on in effect and active OPAs, visit the Burlington Official Plan Amendments page.

View the timeline below for a history of key dates for the new Official Plan appeals process, as well as Regional and Provincial changes affecting the process. For more information or additional documents, contact Community Planning using the information on this page.

• May 16, 2023 – Update on new Official Plan appeals process

  • On May 16, 2023, Burlington City Council waived privilege on the planning memo "Revised Approach –Addressing required changes to the new OP". This memo was first presented to Council in Appendix C of confidential legal report L-23-23, which gave an update on the appeals process for the new Official Plan.

    The planning memo sets out an updated approach for conforming with Regional Official Plan Amendments No. 48 and No. 49. It also discusses the many changes to the provincial land use planning framework. Appendices A and B of the planning memo relate to an Order issued by the Ontario Land Tribunal on Jan. 4, 2023.

    The Order of the OLT confirms which parts of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 came into effect after the end of the appeal period in December of 2020 (Appendix A to the memo). The Order also confirms that no part of the Official Plan, other than policies where appeal rights are limited by the Planning Act, is in effect on lands with site-specific appeals (Appendix B to the memo).

• Nov. 28, 2022 – Province enacts parts of Bill 23: More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022
  • On Nov. 28, 2022, parts of Bill 23: More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 came into effect. The goal of this new provincial legislation is to support the construction of 1.5 million new homes in Ontario by 2031.
  • To understand how Bill 23 impacts the Burlington Official Plan, see reports CS-12-22, PL-82-22 and PL-05-23.
• Nov. 4, 2022 - ROPA 49 approved by Province
  • On Nov. 4, 2022, Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 49 (ROPA 49) was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. ROPA 49 guides how and where Halton will grow, based on the Integrated Growth Management Strategy. It also builds on the Regional Urban Structure of ROPA 48.
  • To understand how ROPA 49 impacts Burlington, see reports PL-37-22, and PL-05-23.
• July 12, 2022 – Recommended Official Plan modifications endorsed by Council

  • On July 12, 2022, Burlington City Council endorsed the recommended modifications to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020, attached as Appendix B to report PL-52-22 and directed staff to advance them through the Ontario Land Tribunal's consideration of the appeals to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020.

• May 10, 2022 – Proposed Official Plan modifications released for public input
  • On May 10, 2022, report PL-30-22 was presented to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee to outline proposed modifications to the new Burlington Official Plan to resolve certain matters of non-conformity related to ROPA 48, for consideration through the OLT process.
• Nov. 10, 2021 – ROPA 48 approved by Province
  • On Nov. 10, 2021 Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 48 (ROPA 48), was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. ROPA 48 implements components of the Regional Urban Structure to Establish a hierarchy of strategic growth areas in the Regional Official Plan.
  • To understand the impacts of ROPA 48 relevant to the Burlington Official Plan, see reports PL-06-22 and PL-41-22.
• Dec. 23, 2020 - Confirmation of appeals by Halton Region
  
  • On Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, Halton Region confirmed the receipt of 48 appeals to the Burlington Official Plan, 2020.
  • For information on an individual appeal, contact the Policy and Community team. 

View the timeline below for a history of key dates for the new Official Plan project.

For more information or additional documents, contact Community Planning using the information on this page.

• Nov. 30, 2020 - Final Notice of Decision from Halton Region
  • On Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, Halton Region issued a final Notice of Decision, approving the new Burlington Official Plan and a 20-day appeal period ran from Nov. 30 to Dec. 21, 2020.
• Nov. 27, 2020 - Halton Region notified of Council endorsement
  • On Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, the City notified Halton Region of City Council's endorsement of the Draft Notice of Decision and requested that the Region release the final Notice of Decision.
• Nov. 26, 2020 - City Council endorses Halton Region Draft Notice of Decision
  • On Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, Burlington City Council endorsed the Halton Region Draft Notice of Decision regarding the adopted Official Plan.
• Nov. 18, 2020 - Halton Region's Draft Notice of Decision made publicly available
  • On Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, the Halton Region Draft Notice of Decision for Burlington's adopted Official Plan was made publicly available.
• Oct. 7, 2020 - Council endorses modifications to policies for Downtown and Neighbourhood Centres
  • On Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, City Council endorses modifications to policies for Downtown and Neighbourhood Centres. These endorsed modifications were sent to Halton Region for inclusion in the adopted Official Plan.
• August to December, 2019 - Public engagement opportunities
  • In 2019, a series of online and in-person public engagement opportunities were held to gather feedback that would directly inform a recommendation to Burlington City Council in March 2020.
• Mar. 18, 2019 - Council identifies Downtown as focus of re-examination
  • On Monday, Mar. 18, 2019, City Council identified that the Downtown policies in the adopted Official Plan would be the focus of the re-examination.
• Feb. 7, 2019 - Council votes to re-examine policies
  • On Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, City Council voted to re-examine policies in Burlington's Official Plan, adopted in April 2018.
• Dec. 4, 2018 - City receives notice from Halton Region of non-conformity
  • On Dec. 4, 2018, the City received notice from Halton Region that the adopted Official Plan did not conform with the Regional Official Plan related to certain policies and mapping.
• April 26, 2018 - Council adopts Official Plan
  • On Thursday, April 26, 2018, Burlington City Council adopted Burlington's Official Plan.
• Mar. 28, 2018 – Official Plan (April 2018) released
  • A fourth version of the proposed new Official Plan, Burlington's Official Plan (April 2018) was released on Mar. 28, 2018, for adoption.
• Feb. 9, 2018 – New mapping released by Province
  • On Feb. 9, 2018, the Province announced the release of the final mapping for both the Natural Heritage System and the Agricultural System for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to support the Growth Plan. The City of Burlington incorporated the Provincial Natural Heritage System and Agricultural System mapping as released by the Province into the mapping of the new Official Plan as adopted by Council, in order to conform to the Provincial Growth Plan.
• Feb. 7, 2018, Official Plan (February 2018) released
  • A third version of the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) was released on Feb. 7, 2018. It contained  revisions that were made as a result of feedback the city received at the Nov. 30, 2017 statutory public meeting, the Jan. 23 and 24, 2018 public meeting, and through written submissions.
• November 7, 2017 – Official Plan (November 2017) released
  • A second version of Burlington's proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) was released on Nov. 9, 2017. It contained revisions to the draft new Official Plan that was released in April 2017. Feedback received from agencies, stakeholders and the public was considered in undertaking revisions to the draft new Official Plan.
• April 2017 – Official Plan (April 2017) released
  • In April 2017, the city released the first draft of the new Official Plan for public consultation.

The Realignment Exercise will advance the policies of the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 by identifying where changes may be required to ensure that that the Plan:

• responds to recent changes to the Regional Official Plan and Provincial legislation, policies and plans;
• represents the City’s vision for growth; and
• supports the objectives of the City’s Strategic Plan, Housing Strategy, Integrated Mobility Plan and other master plans.

For more information, visit Get Involved Burlington – Burlington Official Plan, 2020 Targeted Realignment Exercise.

This project will create a new Zoning Bylaw to provide an updated set of rules for land use planning and development across Burlington, and will implement the Burlington Official Plan, 2020.

For more information, visit Get Involved Burlington - New Zoning Bylaw Project.

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.

Our Integrated Mobility Plan guides 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 burlington.ca/IMP.

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.

• On Mar. 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:
  • assess the role and function of the downtown bus terminal and the Burlington GO station as Major Transit Station Areas;
  • examine the planning structure, land use mix and intensity for the lands identified in the study area; and
  • update the Official Plan policies and Zoning Bylaw regulations as needed.
• On Jan. 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 Jan. 14, 2020 and revised through the memo received by Council on Jan. 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 by visiting the Ontario Land Tribunal's webpage for case no. OLT-22-002483: “OPA 119, ICBL land use study”.

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. 

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; and
• public participation and engagement.

The Official Plan gives clear direction on land use planning but is also flexible because it is a long-term document. The Plan is designed to anticipate and manage change.

For example, it has criteria to evaluate proposals for a change in land use, for new growth in an area that is already developed, and for mapping changes based on updated technical information.

The Official Plan changes regularly to:

• respond to changes in provincial policy;
• reflect environmental, social and economic trends;
• respond to special circumstances; and
• remove strategies that are no longer relevant.

The Official Plan can change through “amendments” to maps and/or policies. These amendments follow a process set out by the Planning Act and can be initiated by an applicant or the municipality.

For more information on initiating an amendment, or to learn how to book a pre-consultation meeting for your project, visit our Official Plan Amendments page.

The Official Plan can also change through an “Official Plan Review”. As a municipality, the City of Burlington must do this regularly to make sure the Plan is up to date with provincial policies and legislation. The City completed its last Official Plan Review in 2020.

For more information on this review, see Burlington Official Plan, 2020 project history.

Each of the City’s three Official Plans contain “Explanatory Notes” at the beginning of the document, which describe the legal status and applicability of the Plan. For more information on which policies may apply to your situation, contact Community Planning using the information on this page.

The Zoning Bylaw carries out the Official Plan’s higher-level directions on:

• land use;
• built form; and
• density.

 Among other things, the Zoning Bylaw sets out specific requirements for:

• building location, orientation, height, form and density;
• lot coverage; and
• parking.

Since the Zoning Bylaw accounts for more detailed differences in conditions on-the-ground, a specific zone may not permit all the uses listed in the applicable land use designation(s) of the Official Plan.

When a policy change is approved in the Official Plan, the City must create new zoning regulations to be able to apply the change. So, until the Zoning Bylaw is amended to reflect the Official Plan change, the existing regulations stay in effect.

You can stay involved and keep up to date with Official Plan matters by:

• Subscribing to this page
• Subscribing to our news and notices
• Registering for our online engagement portal, Get Involved Burlington