Submission Standards for Municipal Plans and Development Regulations

This webpage prescribes the “required form” for submission of planning documents to the Local Governance and Land Use Planning Division (“the Division”) as per sections 10(3), 15(2), 16(2), and 23(4) of the Urban and Rural Planning Act, 2000.

Introduction

The Division is responsible for reviewing municipal plans, development regulations and amendments to ensure that these documents reflect provincial interests and legislation. As part of its responsibilities, the Division has established required form for the submission of planning documents under sections 10(3), 16(2) and 23 (4) of the Act. These standards outline the required form for requesting a municipal planning area and submitting municipal plans, development regulations, and amendments to the Division. Though this website outlines submissions standards specifically for municipal plans, please note that the Act also legislates the requirements for regional plans, protected area plans, and protected road zoning plans and these standards will be applied where applicable. Please note the updates in the table below to ensure you are aware of the most up-to-date information:

Date	Update
May 14, 2024	Updated chart of Submission Standards
September 21, 2021	Removed requirement for hardcopies for amendments
February 5, 2021	Addressed feedback
January 28, 2021	Added link to FTP form
January 6, 2021	Updated mapping requirements
December 2, 2020	Updated council resolution row of chart
November 30, 2020	Release of the Submission Standards

General Requirements

Hardcopies: hardcopies of required documents must be mailed to the Division’s mailing address (see below). All hardcopies for each planning project should be sent in a single package. Incomplete submissions will not be processed until all required documents have been received.

Local Governance and Land Use Planning Division
Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs
P.O. Box 8700
St. John’s, NL
A1B 4J6

Electronic: electronic versions of required documents (including both PDF versions and GIS shape files of maps) are to be sent to LandUsePlanning@gov.nl.ca.

If the files being sent are too large to send by e-mail, click here to access the form required to send them via the Government’s FTP service (or click here if you already have access to that system).

Files must be named using the file naming convention below:

[Name of Municipality] – [Municipal Plan or Development Regulations] [Year]¹ – [Amendment #, Year]² – [For Release/For Registration] – [Version]²

^{1 Include the year here if this submission is not an amendment 2 If applicable}

Amendments: amendments to a municipal plan or development regulations require the same documents as a full municipal plan review; however, the Division will accept electronic versions of the documents without corresponding hardcopies for provincial release (the Division reserves the right to request hardcopies after review of the electronic files).

The amendment title page must include a descriptive title that reflects the nature of the amendment.

Amendments to a municipal plan must be sequentially numbered relative to the previous amendment number, regardless of the year it is submitted to the Division. The amendment numbers would start over after a new municipal plan is registered with the Division. The same applies to development regulations (amendment numbers for development regulations are independent from those for the associated municipal plan and may or may not match).

Templates: if a template is provided below, it is the required format and must be used.

Overview

Click on a item on the left-hand side of the chart to see more information on that item.

Council Resolution

A council resolution is the decision of Council to proceed with a municipal plan and development regulations. The process for making a resolution is outlined in section 212 of the Municipalities Act, 1999. The template below must be used. Council’s resolution must accompany the request for the establishment of a municipal planning area (if the municipality does not already have a municipal planning area established). The resolution must be stamped with the municipality’s seal and signed by the mayor or chairperson.

Template: Council Resolution Template (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 10(1) of the Act

Cover Letter (First Municipal Plan and/or Municipal Planning Area or a Municipal Plan Review)

The municipality must submit a letter stating that it intends to prepare a new municipal plan (or review its current municipal plan). The letter must include a description of the planning project, the name of the planning consultant (must be a full member or fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners) retained for the project, and justification for expansion of planning area boundary beyond municipal boundary (if applicable). Council’s resolution must accompany this letter.

Note: Upon receipt of a request of this type, the Division will initiate an Interdepartmental Land Use Committee (ILUC) referral. The referral summary will be sent to the planning consultant when completed. Any provincial interests identified in the summary must be addressed in the draft of the municipal plan and development regulations.

Template: Cover Letter Template (required format) (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 10(2) of the Act

Description of Municipal Planning Area

A submission for the creation of or change to a municipal planning area boundary must include a generalized description of the municipal planning area and a map. The description must include a clear description of features that form part of the boundary (e.g., roads, water features, and property boundaries) and should include coordinates and projection, if possible.

Note: The Division will coordinate the establishment of the municipal planning area. When the municipal planning area comes into legal effect, the Division will share the digital mapping of the boundary with the consultant.

Template: Planning Area Description Template (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 11 of the Act

Cover Letter (Municipal Plan and Development Regulations Review or Amendments)

When submitting a municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments), the planning consultant must submit a letter stating the name of the municipality, the number(s) of the amendments (if applicable), whether the documents are being submitted for release or registration, and a list of all documents included in the submission. For amendments, the cover letter must outline the purpose of the amendment and the area it will impact.

Template: Cover Letter Template (required format) (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 15(2) and section 23(4) of the Act

Evidence of Public Consultation

The Act outlines public consultation requirements. When submitting a municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments) for section 15 release, the planning consultant must include a summary outlining the public consultation process and provide supporting documentation (i.e., evidence of public consultation and Council’s consideration of the same). The public consultation summary must address the requirements of section 14 of the Act as well as the opportunity for public review of the final draft. Please see the Division’s guidelines for public consultation here.

The public consultation must be carried out by the municipality and its planning consultant. To receive useful input, notices of public consultation events should be very clear about the planning project (i.e., what information is needed when drafting a plan or the details of the amendment).

See below for examples of different types of consultation. Multiple consultation techniques may be necessary to “accommodate the size, structure and complexity” of the municipality.

newspaper ad
request for written submissions
social media postings
website notice
posters
public meeting
open house
focus group(s)
meetings with stakeholders
survey
pop-up booth
presentations to community groups

kids and planning activities
one on one meetings
site walk with interested persons
background report
pamphlet
community newsletter
share studies and reports
public notices
discussions with government departments
blog
community walk

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 14 of the Act

Background Information

During the creation of a municipal plan, a report or studies may be prepared to provide Council and its planning consultant with background information. Reports and studies must be shared with the public and submitted to the Division.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 14(3)(b) of the Act

Draft Submission for Section 15 Review

The planning consultant is responsible for creating a unique plan specific to each client community. This submission should consist of the final draft municipal plan and development regulations which has been reviewed and is acceptable to Council and is stamped and signed by a member or fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP). The municipal plan must include a summary of public consultation (section 15 (5) (b)) including an overview of Council’s considerations.

The planning consultant is responsible for:

ensuring that municipal plan policies are addressed in the development regulations;
provincial interests are addressed;
ensuring that the municipal plan and development regulations conforms with the requirements set out in section 13 (2) and 35 (1) of the Act; and
carrying out an appropriate public consultation process as instructed by Council and in accordance with section section 14 (3).

When submitting a municipal plan and development regulations for a section 15 review, the Division requires the documents to be complete (including all appendices and maps) and submitted in two formats:

ONE hardcopy stamped with the planning consultant’s professional seal (MCIP or FCIP); and
electronic (e.g., as a *.pdf).

The submission (both hardcopy and electronic) must include:

draft resolution to adopt;
draft resolution to approve;
summary of public consultation process included in the municipal plan;
evidence of public consultation (e.g., copy of notice in local newspaper showing date or a screenshot of a notice on Facebook);
all maps, including:
- full-sized hardcopy showing the area subject to the amendment or entire planning area, with:
  - clear legend,
  - place for mayor and clerk signatures,
  - a CIP stamp, and
  - Department’s blank registration stamp;
- Any maps that are to be registered must be on a separate page with the features outlined above;
- PDF (page size should match hardcopy map size); and,
- GIS shapefiles; and
supporting studies and/or background reports.

Amendments to a municipal plan and/or development regulations may be submitted in electronic form only; however, the Division reserves the right to request hardcopies.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 15 of the Act (see also section 13 for plan requirements and section 35 for development regulation requirements)

Resolution to Adopt

Once the review is complete by the Division, Council may adopt the municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments) by a resolution to adopt. The municipal plan and development regulations must both have a resolution to adopt. The resolution to adopt must be signed by the mayor and the municipality’s clerk and stamped with the municipality’s seal. The resolution must include the date of the public meeting at which Council adopted the municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments). The process for a Council to vote on a resolution is outlined in section 212 of the Municipalities Act, 1999.

Template: Resolution to Adopt Template (required format) (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 16 of the Act

Requirement for Public Review and Notice of Public Hearing

After Council adopts the final draft of the municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments), the Act requires that the documents be made available for public review.

Council, working with its planning consultant, must schedule and advertise the required public hearing. The notices of the hearing must include “the place and time during which the proposed plan and development regulations may be inspected and the place and time set for the hearing of representations and objections.” A notice of the public hearing must appear twice in a local newspaper. The first ad must appear in the newspaper at least 14 days (not including the day the notice appears in the newspaper or the day of the hearing) before the scheduled date of the public hearing.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 17 of the Act

Public Hearing and Commissioner’s Report

If no objections are received by the day specified in the notice, Council may cancel the public hearing. If the public hearing is held, the Act requires the Commissioner holding that public hearing to create and submit a report to Council. The report, any submissions received before the public hearing, and all documents considered by the Commissioner must be included in the submission to the Division.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 19-22 of the Act

Resolution to Approve

The Commissioner’s report must be tabled for Council’s consideration. After Council has reviewed the Commissioner’s report, Council may pass a resolution to approve the municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments). If Council decides to make changes to the adopted municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments), the resolution to approve must outline the changes to the document in which it is found. The municipal plan and the development regulations must both have a resolution to approve. The resolution to approve must be signed by the mayor and the municipality’s clerk and stamped with the municipality’s seal. The resolution must include the date of the public meeting at which Council approved the municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments). The process for a Council to vote on a resolution is outlined in section 212 of the Municipalities Act, 1999.

Template: Resolution to Approve Template (required format) (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 23 of the Act

Affidavit

An affidavit is a document in which the Authority swears that no submissions were received prior to the Authority cancelling a public hearing, if applicable.

Template: Affidavit Template (*.docx)

Legislation: Section 23(4) of the Act

Final Hardcopies

When submitting an approved (i.e., including any changes made after the public hearing) municipal plan and development regulations (or amendments) for registration, the Division requires the documents in two formats:

hardcopy; and
electronic (e.g., as a *.pdf).

Note: the term “document” below refers to a copy of a municipal plan (or an amendment to that document) or, separately, a copy of development regulations (or an amendment to that document).

The hardcopy package must include:

TWO sets of the document(s) being submitted to the Division;
- ONE stamped, signed original resolution to adopt with each document;
- ONE stamped, signed original resolution to approve with each document (except for a standalone amendment to development regulations);
- ONE set of stamped, signed, and sealed maps with each document (except for text only amendments);
ONE commissioner’s report;
ONE copy of all notices of the public hearing from the newspaper showing the date of publication; and
ONE completed, signed affidavit.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 23(4) and section 24 of the Act

Maps and GIS Shapefiles

Note: the Local Governance and Land Use Planning Division no longer provides base mapping. To obtain base map data, please contact the GIS and Mapping Division at GIS@gov.nl.ca. Additional information about the geomatics data and services provided by the GIS and Mapping Division can be found here https://www.gov.nl.ca/flr/gis/. While the Division will provide digital mapping of the municipal planning area boundary, the Division is not the definitive authority on mapping features from other departments and government agencies (e.g., Water Resources, Forestry, Agriculture, etc.). This data can be obtained by contacting the responsible agency. Some links to mapping data can be found below. Please contact the applicable government agency for other sources of data.

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Provincial Land Use Details (gov.nl.ca)
- Maps – Newfoundland & Labrador Statistics Agency (gov.nl.ca)
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities
Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
Department of Industry, Energy and Technology
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
- GIS Data – Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation (gov.nl.ca)
Government of Canada
- Government of Canada Geospatial Data

Maps are to be submitted to the Division and must include:

Municipal boundary;
Municipal planning area boundary;
FLU or LUZ layers must be labeled and zoning must be enabled under the classes/designations;
- FLU legend must include all land use designations and all layers referred to in the municipal plan;
- LUZ legend must include all zoning and all layers referred to in the development regulations;
- Names of land use designations and zones must be consistent between the documents and the maps;
Base mapping and/or aerial photography to help provide geospatial content for FLU and LUZ locations;
Extent of inset map on overview map;
Coordinate system used (NAD, MTM or UTM);
North arrow;
Scale bar;
CIP registration stamp;
Signature of authority (e.g., mayor and town clerk) as well as date; and
Department’s blank registration stamp.

Map data is to be submitted to the Division in shapefile format and the data must include:

Topology – Polygons must not have overlaps or gaps and align with adjacent boundaries. Must not have multipart polygons. Polygon features must not be comprised of multiple separate polygons. Each separate instance of a zone should be comprised of only one contiguous area of the same zone-type and a disconnected area of the same zone-type should be its own separate polygon;
Attribute Table – The fields in the attribute table must have LUZ and FLU fields with complete name of zone or district. Names must match DR and MP naming. Attribute must also include an abbreviated “code” zone field;
LUZ – Zoning must be enabled under the classes/designations (For this reason, the Division would like a table of land use classes/designations with corresponding zones to be provided in the plan and/or regulations, if applicable.); and
Accuracy – Information related to the land use classes/designations and zones found in a plan are to match what is shown on the maps. Data must have a define projection.

For assistance with zoning and boundaries GIS data, please contact the Division.

For assistance with base mapping and aerial photography GIS data, please contact the GIS and Mapping Division.

Template: n/a

Legislation: Section 10(3) and section 23(4) of the Act

For more information about planning, please visit https://www.gov.nl.ca/mpa/faq/faq-landuseplanning/