Community Planning Permit System

At the meeting on July 7, 2026, County of Brant Council deferred final consideration of the CPPS. This includes proposed Official Plan Amendment and Community Planning Permit ByLaw for the CPPS. The proposed by-laws would update the County Official Plan to align with Ontario Regulation 173/16, establish a policy framework for future Community Planning Permit Bylaws, clarify the continued application of existing zoning and site plan control regulations until a CPPS Bylaw is in effect, and adopt the County's Community Planning Permit System, integrating the feedback collected through this project.

The deferral will provide staff with additional time to respond to the final questions raised by Council during its review. All public comments received through the consultation process and up to the July 7 Council meeting remain part of the project record and are being considered. While the deferral is not intended to initiate an additional public consultation process, upon adoption of the CPPS a monitoring program will ensure that any further comments are considered as the ByLaw is implemented, providing the chance for Council to make changes again within 6 months, where needed.

The proposed bylaws are scheduled to return to Council on July 28, 2026. Subject to Council's approval and the applicable appeal periods, the CPPS is anticipated to come into effect on August 22, 2026.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on any further decisions, subscribe to this project page or contact policy@brant.ca.

Thank you for your comments on this project so far. We've reviewed the feedback received throughout the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) project, and the final draft of the CPP Bylaw is now complete and ready for review. The bylaw will be presented to Council on July 7, 2026.

Review the changes made to the CPP Bylaw since the April release.

Leading up to the meeting, additional information will be released, including:

Interactive Mapping: The Zone Comparison Tool is available online and is currently being updated. The final draft will be available by June 23. Exported mapping documents that will form draft Schedules A and B of the Bylaw will be available online by June 29.

Site-Specific Tables: All existing site-specific zones will be carried over into the new bylaw for a minimum of two years. A full version of the current site-specific zones, holding provisions, and temporary zones will be available online by June 29. These documents will form draft Schedules B and C. During the two-year transition period, staff will work with property owners to remove redundancies and transition site-specific provisions into the new framework.

Ongoing Projects: Two ongoing planning projects, the Cainsville Land Use Strategy and Downtown Paris Rezoning, will be incorporated into the final draft of the bylaw. No Council decisions have been made on either project. Their inclusion within the CPPS framework remains subject to separate Council decisions on the following dates:

• Downtown Paris Rezoning: July 7, 2026 - EngageBrant.ca/DTPZoning
• Cainsville Land Use Strategy: July 28, 2026 - EngageBrant.ca/CainsvilleLandUseStrategy

Engagement summary for this project phase

Since the release of the draft CPP Bylaw on April 28, residents, property owners, businesses, and stakeholders have continued to review materials and provide feedback. The project page received more than 1,600 visits, supporting documents were viewed more than 300 times, and the draft bylaw itself was viewed more than 600 times.

To help explain how the proposed bylaw could apply in real-world situations, the example videos were promoted online. These videos received more than 50,000 views through paid advertising and generated over 500 visits to this project webpage.

Project information was promoted through social media, paid digital advertising, print advertisements in 3 local newspapers, and updates on Engage Brant. These efforts helped ensure residents had multiple opportunities to learn about the project, review materials, and provide input throughout the process.

Submit final comments

To submit final comments for inclusion in the Council agenda package, please email policy@brant.ca by July 5, 2026. All comments received will be provided to Council for consideration. If additional refinements to the bylaw are recommended, a summary of those changes will also be presented.

Attend the council meeting

The final draft of the CPP Bylaw will be considered by Council on July 7, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at County of Brant Council Chambers, 7 Broadway Street West, Paris.

Residents who wish to speak at the meeting must register in advance by contacting clerks@brant.ca or by submitting the online delegation request form by July 2, 2026.

Council meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed on the County of Brant's YouTube channel at brant.ca/Live.

The draft CPP Bylaw is now complete and ready for public review and feedback.

To help make reviewing the bylaw a little easier, we've outlined some important highlights for you to consider.

• Bylaw Explainer - Structure of the By-law
• Bylaw Explainer - How to Find Your Zoning

View the complete draft CPP Bylaw.

• Sections 1 and 2 explain how the Bylaw is administered and applied and set out the Community Planning Permit System structure for the County. These sections provide directions on how to read and navigate the Bylaw.
• Section 3 outlines land use permissions and development standards. Development standards are organized into general, use‑specific, zone‑specific, and overlay standards, which should be reviewed together to understand all applicable requirements.
• Section 4 contains definitions, figures, and tables that provide additional support for interpreting technical provisions used throughout the Bylaw.
• Zoning schedules and mapping are currently digital and can be accessed through the Zoning Comparison Tool, which allows users to identify zoning and applicable regulations for their property.

Share your feedback until June 14, 2026.

Meet with County Staff

Residents who would like to discuss the Bylaw or understand how the regulations apply to their property can book a meeting with County staff using the link below.

Book a meeting

Have a question or comment about zoning on a property or area? Use our Property Zoning Form

The Property Zoning Form is the primary way to submit zoning‑related questions or feedback.

You can share details, upload supporting documents (such as photos or reports), and include your contact information if you would like a response. This form helps the County track questions, comments, and responses related to specific properties or areas, so they can be reviewed consistently as part of the CPPS process.

Visit the Property Zoning Form

Submissions will be accepted until June 14, 2026, to allow staff time to prepare recommendations for the July 7, 2026 Council meeting to adopt the CPPS.

Attend a Council Meeting

• May 12 at 6:00 pm - Council Meeting: Staff will present the CPPS Engagement Summary and how feedback has been incorporated into the first draft of the CPP Bylaw.
• June 2 at 4:00 pm - Special Council Meeting: Attend to learn more about the CPP Bylaw and Official Plan enabling policies, and share your feedback with Council.

Both meetings will take place at County of Brant Council Chambers, 7 Broadway Street West, Paris.

Council meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed on the County of Brant's YouTube channel at brant.ca/Live.

Use this interactive tool to compare current zoning (2016) with the proposed zoning (2026) under the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS). Search for an address or zoom in on an area to see how zoning permissions may change.

Click the map below to access the Zoning Comparison Tool.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) engagement!

Between September 2025 and March 2026, we provided several opportunities to learn about the new proposed CPPS and share your feedback. This included an online survey, educational videos, and open house sessions in St. George, Paris, Cainsville, and Burford.

More than 65 residents attended the open houses and 59 surveys were submitted.

What We Heard

Across both the survey and open house discussions, several key messages were shared by participants and attendees.

Development should fit the community

You said that new development should reflect the character and scale of the surrounding area. You also emphasized that projects should consider local context, including existing neighbourhoods, farmland, and natural features.

Protect natural areas and farmland

Frequently highlighted the importance of protecting forests, rivers, woodlots, and agricultural lands, you told us that development proposals affecting these areas should receive careful review.

Clear communication and early notice are important

You shared that you want to be informed early when development is proposed in your community and expressed interest in clear explanations of projects as well as opportunities to ask questions and provide input before decisions are made.

Focus on meaningful community benefits

You shared ideas about how development can contribute to the community. Examples included parks and open spaces, community facilities, housing options for different life stages, and services that support everyday needs.

A planning system that is clear and easy to understand

Many of you have participated in development applications in the past and said the process can be complex or difficult to navigate. You supported creating a system that is easier to understand while still ensuring that large-scale and higher impact proposals receive appropriate review.

View the complete Survey Responses Report.

What’s Next

The feedback gathered through the survey and open houses will help inform the development of the County’s CPPS and the CPP Bylaw.

As the framework continues to be refined, additional opportunities will be provided for you to review proposed zoning, development standards, and other components of the CPPS. Updates and future engagement opportunities will continue to be shared on this page.

If you would like to receive updates about this project, simply add your email to the Stay Informed box on this page and click ‘Subscribe'.

We’ve heard concerns about growth, development, and how difficult the planning process can be. Now we want your feedback about the proposed new Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) that will:

• Make planning rules easier to understand
• Provide more predictability for property owners and builders
• Support a faster and more responsive planning approvals process
• Help secure community benefits like parks and heritage protection

View these real-life example videos of the current development approval process versus the new proposed CPPS.

Share your thoughts

Complete the survey by Tuesday, March 3, 2026

• Take the online survey
• Prefer a printed survey? Stop by the main County of Brant Customer Service locations to pick up a copy.
• Complete the survey over the phone by calling 519.44BRANT (519.442.7268) or 1.855.44BRANT (1.855.442.7268).

Attend an open house

Prefer to speak with staff and learn more about this project in person? You're invited to join us at our upcoming open houses to learn more about this project, ask questions, and share your thoughts on the CPPS and draft CPP Bylaw:

• Monday, February 23, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Gaukel Memorial Community Centre, 7 Gaukel Drive in St. George
• Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Brant Sports Complex, Lafarge Hall, 944 Powerline Road in Paris
• Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the TF Warren Group Cainsville Community Centre, 15 Ewart Avenue in Cainsville
• Monday, March 2, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Burford Community Centre, 14 Potter Drive in Burford

You're invited to join the online Community Conversations Forum

This is your opportunity to discuss development challenges, community-focused design, planning for community needs such as housing, public engagement, and what makes a complete community.

By participating, you can:

• Share what matters most to you in how our communities grow.
• Learn from the perspectives of your neighbours.
• Offer solutions and ideas to help shape future planning decisions.

Join the conversation until March 3, 2026.

The County of Brant has launched a Community Conversations Forum as part of the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) project, and we want to hear from you!

The forum is an open discussion space where residents and community partners can share their experiences, ideas, and perspectives about how land is developed in the County.

Here, you can:

• Comment on the discussion questions posted by the County.
• Respectfully respond to other participants’ contributions.
• Like or support comments you agree with.

This is your opportunity to discuss development challenges, community-focused design, planning for community needs such as housing, public engagement, and what makes a complete community.

By participating, you can:

• Share what matters most to you in how our communities grow.
• Learn from the perspectives of your neighbours.
• Offer solutions and ideas to help shape future planning decisions.

Respectful Participation

We encourage open and honest conversation, but ask that everyone:

• Be respectful of different opinions and experiences.
• Keep comments constructive and on topic.
• Avoid personal, offensive, or hateful remarks. Remarks such as these will be removed.

Your feedback will help ensure that the CPPS reflects the values and needs of residents, while supporting clear, transparent, and community-focused planning in the County of Brant.

Join the conversation

The County of Brant is beginning work on a new Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), a tool that will make the development process clearer, faster, and easier to navigate. Most importantly, this new system will put community needs at the centre of every decision, ensuring that growth in the County reflects our shared values and vision for the future.

With the project planning and background review (Phase 1) underway, a Trends and Issues Report will be presented to Council at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14 at County of Brant Council Chambers, 7 Broadway Street West, Paris.

This report will provide more detailed information regarding the existing challenges in the County’s development approval processes, share lessons learned from other municipalities, and offer recommendations for how the County can move forward with its own CPP bylaw.

Council meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed on the County of Brant's YouTube channel at brant.ca/Live.