Bruce County Planner John Ghent updated Brockton Council on the changes brought on by the new Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
The Ontario Municipal Board no longer exists, and Ghent said the old way of handling planning appeals will mostly be the same for things like minor variances or severances, but there will be differences when it comes to bigger items.
"For official plan amendments, whether they're privately initiated, or part of an overall official plan review process that the municipality would initiate, or a zoning application again either private or public, any appeals of those will be dealt with by LPAT," said Ghent.
Ghent said the major change with appeals now is that if it's found that council's decision is consistent with the official plan, it will withstand the appeal. But if not, Ghent said there's a major new difference.
"If it's shown that the council's decision is not consistent with the PPS or is not consistent with the official plan, then LPAT will hear the appeal, and refer it back to the municipality for another decision," he said.
This was never the case with the old Ontario Municipal Board said Ghent, which was replaced by LPAT in April of this year.
