Directory of Planning and Development Policies and Resources
In making decisions regarding issues of planning and development, municipalities have much to consider, including federal and provincial legislation, environmental and historical impacts and the approved policies of the municipality itself. Section 638.2 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) requires all municipalities within Alberta to have a listing of all policies and bylaws that influence Planning decisions available on their public websites.
The following is a directory of all approved policies of the Town of Legal, which relate to planning and development (Part 17 of the MGA) within the town.
Relationship Between Planning Documents
The hierarchy of documents within the Town of Legal’s land use planning framework is established by the MGA. The MGA requires that each level is consistent with the level above and below (planning framework), and that policies or regulations within planning document(s) at each level be implemented by those below (planning framework) in the decision-making process.
The MGA provides the legislative authority for municipal land use planning and decision making, while the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) regional plan (or Land Use Policies in their absence) provides broad-based policy directions and principals for municipal land use planning, which are effected through statutory plans and bylaws. The statutory plans provide future direction for the development and use of lands at the fringe areas of the Towns boundaries (IDP’s) or within the whole Municipality (MDP).
The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) regulates the use and development of land based on the policy directions of statutory plans, while the Subdivision and Development Regulation regulates subdivision planning in conjunction with the MGA, applicable statutory plans, and the Land Use Bylaw.
The policies, studies, guidelines, and other documents contain additional information or specific requirements outside statutory plans and the LUB documents that are considered for certain types of development permits and subdivision applications. Where there is a conflict or inconsistency between a higher-level planning document and lower-level planning document, the higher-level planning document prevails to the extent of the conflict or inconsistency.