Community Planning Permit System

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Aerial view of central Peterborough

Draft City-Wide Community Planning Permit By-law

A copy of the draft CPP By-law and interactive mapping is now available for public viewing via the links below.

How to Get Started / CPPS User Guide

This User Guide is intended to help readers understand and navigate the draft CPP By-law. It provides a general overview on how to:

  • Navigate the By-law;
  • Use the interactive mapping to determine the proposed precinct for a property; and,
  • Interpret development standards for residential uses.

This guide is for orientation purposes only and is not exhaustive.

Current Community Engagement Opportunities

Your feedback on the Draft By-law is critical to help inform the Final By-law that will be presented for Council approval in May 2026.

Online Survey is now live!

Community members can provide feedback through an online survey available now on ConnectPTBO until March 20th.

Link to survey: https://www.connectptbo.ca/embeds/projects/48660/survey-tools/57785

A New Way to Regulate Development in the City of Peterborough

As the City of Peterborough continues to grow, the City must modernize how development is regulated to better align with the vision of the Official Plan and to integrate the community’s evolving priorities.

The City is developing a City-wide Community Planning Permit System (CPPS),Community Planning Permit By-law, and necessary enabling policies in the Official Plan. This project builds on discussions with the community held during Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 relating to the Planning for the Future of Our Strategic Growth Areas project, and the engagement approach will align with Rounds 4 to 7 of that project.

The CPPS will replace the City’s Zoning By-law and regulate how land is used, and create a framework for development and redevelopment approvals for all lands within the City. The CPPS is a land use planning tool which combines three current development approval processes (Zoning By-law Amendments, Minor Variances and Site Plan applications) into one single application and approval process. The resulting CPP By-law, will ultimately provide development regulations that align with the Official Plan’s vision for new development and redevelopment.

This project stems from the work completed on the City’s Strategic Growth Areas to support these priority areas of growth. Visit Planning for the Future of our Strategic Growth Areas to learn more about that project.

Draft City-Wide Community Planning Permit By-law

A copy of the draft CPP By-law and interactive mapping is now available for public viewing via the links below.

How to Get Started / CPPS User Guide

This User Guide is intended to help readers understand and navigate the draft CPP By-law. It provides a general overview on how to:

  • Navigate the By-law;
  • Use the interactive mapping to determine the proposed precinct for a property; and,
  • Interpret development standards for residential uses.

This guide is for orientation purposes only and is not exhaustive.

Current Community Engagement Opportunities

Your feedback on the Draft By-law is critical to help inform the Final By-law that will be presented for Council approval in May 2026.

Online Survey is now live!

Community members can provide feedback through an online survey available now on ConnectPTBO until March 20th.

Link to survey: https://www.connectptbo.ca/embeds/projects/48660/survey-tools/57785

A New Way to Regulate Development in the City of Peterborough

As the City of Peterborough continues to grow, the City must modernize how development is regulated to better align with the vision of the Official Plan and to integrate the community’s evolving priorities.

The City is developing a City-wide Community Planning Permit System (CPPS),Community Planning Permit By-law, and necessary enabling policies in the Official Plan. This project builds on discussions with the community held during Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 relating to the Planning for the Future of Our Strategic Growth Areas project, and the engagement approach will align with Rounds 4 to 7 of that project.

The CPPS will replace the City’s Zoning By-law and regulate how land is used, and create a framework for development and redevelopment approvals for all lands within the City. The CPPS is a land use planning tool which combines three current development approval processes (Zoning By-law Amendments, Minor Variances and Site Plan applications) into one single application and approval process. The resulting CPP By-law, will ultimately provide development regulations that align with the Official Plan’s vision for new development and redevelopment.

This project stems from the work completed on the City’s Strategic Growth Areas to support these priority areas of growth. Visit Planning for the Future of our Strategic Growth Areas to learn more about that project.

  • Community Engagement

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    illustration of different people at a meeting, sharing ideas and taking notes

    Overview

    There will be multiple opportunities to provide feedback throughout the project process, including surveys, public meetings, workshops, interviews and working group meetings. Feedback will be documented and will be used to help inform the policies and directions that will be implemented through this exercise.

    The next round of community engagement is intended to collect feedback and input on the community vision for growth and will include the following activities:

    • Public Engagement: Late January/Early February 2026 (see details below)
    • Indigenous Community Outreach and Engagement: Ongoing

    Stay tuned for more information on each round of engagement and how you can participate.

    Current Community Engagement Opportunities

    Your feedback on the Draft By-law is critical to help inform the Final By-law that will be presented for Council approval in May 2026.

    Online Survey is now live!

    Community members can provide feedback through an online survey available now on ConnectPTBO until March 20th.

    Link to survey: https://www.connectptbo.ca/embeds/projects/48660/survey-tools/57785

    Past Community Engagement Events

    Date Event Location Links to Documents
    October 29, 2024 Coffee Conversation McDonnel Activity Centre
    November 13, 2024 Downtown Farmer's Market Pop-up Peterborough Square Mall
    October 28 to November 22, 2024 Online Survey and Mapping Poll #1 Online n/a
    February 6, 2025 Community Meeting Healthy Planet Arena
    February 6 to March 5, 2025 Online Survey and Mapping Poll #2 Online n/a
    March 4 to 5, 2025 Pop-ups Trent University and Fleming College
    June 17- July 31, 2025 Online Survey #3 Online n/a
    June 17, 2025 Community Meeting Miskin Law Community Complex
    June 24, 2025 Community Meeting Online
    July 23, 2025 Downtown Farmer's Market Pop-up Quaker Foods City Square n/a
    September 17, 2025 Statutory Public Open House for proposed Official Plan Amendment Miskin Law Community Complex
    January 28, 2026 In-person Public Open House Westdale United Church
    January 29, 2026 In-person Public Open House Queen Alexandra Community Centre (Activity Haven)
    February 4, 2026 In-person Public Open House McDonnel Street Community Centre
    February 5, 2026 In-person Public Open House Healthy Planet Arena
    February 11, 2026 Virtual Statutory Public Open House Online


    Summary Report of What We Heard


  • What is a CPPS?

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    The City’s new Official Plan acknowledges the CPPS as a strategic planning tool to facilitate intensification and redevelopment. Key benefits of this tool in Peterborough would include:

    • A streamlined development approvals process;
    • Increased regulation flexibility and design standards;
    • Opportunity to apply a broader scope of development review;
    • Opportunity to implement the City’s new Urban Design Guidelines; and
    • Support for local objectives such as increased affordable housing supply, meeting density and intensification targets, promoting high quality design and preserving cultural heritage.

    The CPPS process is proposed to be administered through a new CPP By-law, in place of the City’s existing and outdated Zoning By-law. In Ontario, municipalities are required to implement the policies of a new or updated Official Plan within three years of a new or updated Official Plan coming into effect. The City-wide CPP By-law will replace the existing Zoning By-law with modernized development regulations and will ensure alignment with the City’s new Official Plan.

    Once a CPP By-law is in effect, the City can issue Community Planning Permits to allow development to occur if an application meets the standards set out in the CPP By-law.

    In developing a CPPS, Peterborough joins several other forward-thinking municipalities across Ontario to proactively update our approach to regulating development, increase housing supply, and foster sustainable, well-designed communities.

Page last updated: 13 Feb 2026, 12:26 PM