Overview package for City Council’s General Committee meeting on April 23, 2026

Peterborough, ON – City Council is continuing its review of the draft city-wide Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-law, a new city-wide planning tool designed to guide how development occurs across Peterborough. 

At the April 23 General Committee meeting, Council reviewed the draft by-law in detail and provided comments on possible amendments. Council directed staff to review its suggested amendments to the draft by-law and report back to Council in June 2026 on the implementation of the potential amendments. 

Council focused on reviewing the key themes of comments received to date on the draft by-law. The themes include facilities, services and matters, green development standards, Climate Action Plan 2.0, Class 3 maximum building heights, land use compatibility, environmental protection and precinct mapping. 

Council is expected to consider approval of the final recommendations for the CPP By-law during a meeting that will be held by June 30, 2026. 

The draft by-law has been developed through extensive community engagement since its release in January 2026, including public open houses, a survey and project webpage, and staff discussions with community groups, residents, Indigenous partners, and Council. 

The CPP By-law is the document that establishes the rules for how land is developed under the new system, including permitted uses, building heights, development standards, and community benefits. It is the implementation tool for the broader Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), which is a planning framework enabled under the Planning Act that combines zoning, minor variances, and site plan approvals into a single, streamlined approval process. The CPPS is designed to make development approvals faster and more calculable, while still ensuring growth aligns with the City’s Official Plan and long-term vision. 

Moving to a city-wide CPPS will also help the City meet provincial requirements to update its zoning framework to be consistent with the City’s newly adopted Official Plan and support key priorities such as increasing housing supply, encouraging mixed-use neighbourhoods, and making efficient use of infrastructure and services.