FAQs

Planning in Ontario is governed by the provincial Planning Act, which is the Act that gives authority to Municipal Councils to deal with Planning matters. 

The Planning Act also requires each regional and local area municipality to have an Official Plan to guide both land use and growth in the local municipalities. This Official Plan provides a land development vision for the City and identifies how that vision can be achieved. City development decisions also must conform to a number of provincial plans such as, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, The Greenbelt Plan, The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, to name a few. 

The mandated planning process allows the City to consult with impacted boards and agencies, engage with the public, and review every development application thoroughly. At the end of the process, staff make a professional recommendation to Council based on data, analysis, evaluation of key criteria, input from the public and implementation of policy. 

The Province sets out how and where growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is to occur through the Growth Plan (A Place to Grow). Durham Region has been allocated certain growth targets that are then further distributed to the lower-tier municipalities in Durham, based on a detailed growth study and in accordance with the guiding policy framework of the Growth Plan. The most growth is directed to existing established areas, in particular, areas that are well-served by transit like major arterial roads and areas around GO Train Stations. In addition to these “strategic growth areas”, the Province has further designated the Pickering City Centre as an Urban Growth Centre in the Growth Plan. These areas are intended to accommodate even greater proportions of population and employment growth.  

In the long term, the bulk of Pickering’s growth will take place in the Seaton community which has been planned to accommodate 60 to 70,000 new residents, 35,000 jobs, and will have a comprehensive open space system. Construction has been steadily progressing in the southernmost area of Seaton, which you can see when driving along Taunton Road. 

At the end of the planning process, our hope is that we make a decision that reflects the collective vision and values of our city. That said, every developer has the right to appeal Council’s decision on a planning application to the Ontario Land Tribunal or on the basis that Council did not make a decision on the applications within the prescribed timelines as set out in the Planning Act; the agency responsible for hearing and deciding appeals and matters related to land use planning, environmental and natural features and heritage protection, land valuation, land compensation, municipal finance, and related matters. 

The City must be prepared to defend its position at this tribunal, and as such, is why we can’t outright reject a development application. The planning process works and it is critical that you be active and engaged in it. By doing so, you are helping us keep control over the decisions that shape our city.

All active development proposals for Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments, Draft Plan of Subdivision, and Draft Plan of Condominium are listed online with public feedback opportunities. Visit pickering.ca/DevApp for details. Be sure to check back regularly as we above and beyond what is required to ensure that residents have an opportunity to provide input. Look out for resident notices, public meetings, and more!