Appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)

Ontario’s Planning Act is the provincial legislation that governs land use planning in Ontario and provides the legal foundation for the tools that planners and municipalities use to make land use planning decisions.

Sometimes people do not agree with the decisions of the Municipality. The Planning Act provides opportunities to appeal decisions made by the Municipality about certain land use planning matters to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) is an independent adjudicative tribunal responsible for resolving appeals and applications on a variety of contentious municipal and land use planning matters.

There are limits on appeals and only those who make a written submission or verbal representation at a public meeting are able to appeal. The Planning Act does not allow members of the public to appeal decisions of the Municipality to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

To learn more about the Ontario Land Tribunal, go to Ontario Land Tribunal | Citizen’s guide to land use planning | ontario.ca

The Province passed Bill 185 which removed the ability for members of the public to appeal any decision of the Municipality for Zoning Bylaw Amendments (Rezonings) and any decision of the County of Hastings on Official Plan Amendments.

Bill 23 was previously passed by the Province to remove the ability of members of the public to appeal Municipal decisions on Minor Variance/Permission Applications and County decisions on Subdivisions and Severances (Consents).

Only applicants, the Municipality, County, or "specified persons" are permitted to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). A specified person may include Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One, a telecommunications provider, or a person required to have a risk and safety management plan in accordance with the TSSA Act.

Current Appeals

Below are current or recent appeals of the Municipality’s decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal: