Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Development Permit
Areas
for the Protection of Farming
Local governments may designate development permit areas (DPAs) for a number of purposes. In 1996, amendments to the Municipal Act (now Local Government Act) added "the protection of farming" as an additional basis for the designation of a DPA. To improve land use compatibility, the new provisions allow the adoption (within official community plans) of regulations for screening, landscaping, fencing and siting of buildings or structures. This provides buffering or separation of development from farming.
The City of Surrey was the first local government to use the new DPA provisions in their Official Community Plan. The Regional District of Nanaimo has also adopted DPA provisions for the protection of farming in their Arrowsmith Benson - Cranberry Bright Official Community Plan. For convenience, a summary of the pertinent sections of each of these official community plans and the DPA provisions are highlighted.
The examples have been provided to give local governments insight into how the DPA provisions can be used. Depending on local circumstances, different provisions may be included in a particular DPA.
Please note that while the information below was drawn from the City of Surrey and Regional District of Nanaimo web sites, the information may be subject to change and the reader may wish to consult directly with the City and Regional District web sites.
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