Land Use Planning

The Regional Service Commission 11 helps rural communities and residents assess their future development options and design ways of managing change in their communities through land use planning.

Land use planning is a participatory process that gives people the opportunity to promote local values and accomplish local goals within a single focused framework for action.  Planning can benefit communities and individuals by protecting important environmental features, natural resources and cultural resources while promoting appropriate community development and separating conflicting land uses.

In New Brunswick, land use planning is accomplished through Municipal Plans, Rural Plans for Rural Communities, Basic Planning Statements , and Rural Plans.  Due to problems with the complexity and the timely adoption and amendment of Basic Planning Statements, only Rural Plans are currently being developed for the unincorporated areas of New Brunswick.

For more information on planning or to become involved in the planning process, please contact the Regional Service Commission 11 office.

Rural Plans were added to the Community Planning Act to replace Area Plans and Basic Planning Statements, and were specifically designed to meet the needs and characteristics of rural areas and small municipalities.  Rural Plans are focused, flexible documents that offer improved processes for public participation and timely adoption and amendment.

Although each Rural Plan is tailored to meet the needs of specific communities, they all contain:

• •  Residential uses;
  • Commercial uses;
  • Institutional uses;
  • Recreational facilities and public open spaces;
  • Resource uses;
  • Protection of water supplies;
  • Heritage buildings and sites of historical or archaeological interest; and
  • Conservation of the physical environment.

Proposals – specific measures that satisfy or implement a policy.

Zoning Provisions – the primary legal tool for implementing policies and proposals in a Rural Plan.  Zoning designates areas for specific uses and outlines which primary and secondary activities are permitted within each zone.

General Provisions – the legal tools used to implement policies and proposals in multiple and regulate matters that are not specific to any particular zone.

a Zoning Map – produced as the last step of the Rural Plan, it shows the extent and location of zones within the Rural Planning Area.

New Basic Planning Statements are no longer being developed in the Province of New Brunswick; however, those Basic Planning Statements that were adopted prior to amendments to the Community Planning Act are still in effect.

Basic Planning Statements were designed to be a less formal and less comprehensive alternative to Municipal Plans or Area Plans.  Basic Planning Statements were based upon such studies and surveys as required by the Government, and contained statements of objectives, policies and proposals for the future development of a community.  As well, Basic Planning Statements contained statements of the objectives to be accomplished by a separate zoning by-law.

While Basic Planning Statements did not commit the community or the Province to undertake any proposals outlined in the Statement, they prevented the undertaking of any development in any manner inconsistent or at variance with the Basic Planning Statement.

Basic Planning Statements were brought into effect by the enacting of an adopting by-law by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and amendments to Basic Planning Statements were brought before the Council for approval.  As such, the approval and amendment process was very labour intensive and time consuming.

The following Basic Planning Statements and Zoning Regulation that are in effect in the area served by Regional Service Commission 11:

Tracyville – Three Tree Creek Planning Area Basic Statement 95-TRC-006-00

Tracyville – Three Tree Creek Zoning Regulation 95-TRC-007-00