Consultations

Applications for consent (commonly called 'severances') are required under s. 53 of the Planning Act to divide land or create an interest in a part of a piece of land. 

Consents are required to create new lots, adjust the boundaries between two lots, create a leasehold exceeding 21 years, or to create an easement (or right-of-way). Consents are meant for small scale development; if your proposal includes creating more than four lots, a plan of subdivision or condominium may be required. 

Who is responsible?

The County of Haliburton's Land Division Committee is responsible for hearing all applications for consent. 

How do I pre-consult?

Consents require pre-consultation with your local municipality, but we recommend contacting the County of Haliburton first. County staff will review your proposal and then refer you to the appropriate person at the local municipality. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your consent pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the lot to be severed;
• A brief overview of what you're hoping to accomplish;
• A completed severance sketch (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to submit your proposal to the local municipality for formal pre-consultation comments. If you wish to do this, the County planner will provide you with the information you need to make a submission. 

A plan of subdivision under s. 51 of the Planning Act is used to divide land into multiple lots for development purposes and may include roads and blocks for parks or other community uses. Subdivision approvals ensure that the development proposed is orderly and can be serviced with the appropriate infrastructure. 

In Haliburton County, any proposal to divide land into more than four parcels requires a subdivision approval.  

Draft plan of subdivision approvals requires a formal pre-consultation with the local municipality. County staff recommend reaching out to the County of Haliburton first so we may provide feedback and direct you to the appropriate staff at the local level. 

Who is responsible?

Haliburton County Council is responsible for making decisions on all applications for draft and final approval of subdivisions. 

How do I pre-consult?

Subdivisions require pre-consultation with your local municipality, but we recommend contacting the County of Haliburton first. County staff will review your proposal and then refer you to the appropriate person at the local municipality. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your subdivision pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the property to be subdivided;
• An overview of the proposed number of lots, access, servicing and any other pertinent information;
• A completed draft plan of subdivision (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to submit your proposal to the local municipality for formal pre-consultation comments. If you wish to do this, the County planner will provide you with the information you need to make a submission. 

Plans of condominium are approvals under the Condominium Act. Condominiums are a means by which ownership in land may be divided, similar to a plan of subdivision. Unlike a subdivision, condominiums include shared ownership elements, such as parking, storage or amenity spaces. These shared elements are managed by a condominium corporation, which all of the unit owners are co-owners.

Condominium approvals generally follow the same standards and processes as subdivision approvals. 

Condominium approvals require a formal pre-consultation with the local municipality. County Planning staff recommend reaching out to the County of Haliburton first, so we may provide guidance and comments. We can then refer you to the appropriate member of local staff.

Who is responsible?

Haliburton County Council is responsible for making decisions on all applications for draft and final approval of condominiums. 

How do I pre-consult?

Condominiums require pre-consultation with your local municipality, but we recommend contacting the County of Haliburton first. County staff will review your proposal and then refer you to the appropriate person at the local municipality. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your subdivision pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the subject property;
• An overview of the proposed number of units, access, servicing and any other pertinent information;
• If known, the type of condominium development (leasehold or freehold; standard/phased/vacant lot/common elements);
• A completed sketch (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to submit your proposal to the local municipality for formal pre-consultation comments. If you wish to do this, the County planner will provide you with the information you need to make a submission. 

Condominium exemptions are an approval under the Condominium Act that permits approval authorities to exempt the 'draft approval' stage of a condo development that has undergone other substantial planning approvals (such as a zoning by-law amendment and/or site plan approval).

Consultation with County and local staff is required prior to recommending an exemption. Please reach out to County Planning staff and we can provide guidance on this process.

Who is responsible?

Haliburton County Council is responsible for making decisions on all applications for condominium exemption.

How do I pre-consult?

Condo exemptions require pre-consultation with your local municipality, but we recommend contacting the County of Haliburton first. County staff will review your proposal and then refer you to the appropriate person at the local municipality. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your subdivision pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the property;
• An overview of the proposed number of units, access, servicing and any other pertinent information;
• A completed condo sketch (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• Any plans, reports, or approvals that have been previously undertaken to support the exemption;
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to submit your proposal to the local municipality for formal pre-consultation comments. If you wish to do this, the County planner will provide you with the information you need to make a submission. 

Consultation with the County is not required for zoning or minor variance applications. Consultation with the local municipality prior to submitting a formal application is always a good practice. 

Who is responsible?

Planning applications related to zoning (zoning by-law amendments or minor variances) are managed by the local municipalities. The County provides comments to the local municipalities on these applications as a commenting agency.

How do I pre-consult?

Contact your local municipality's planning department:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands Planning Department
• Municipality of Dysart et al Planning Department
• Municipality of Highlands East Planning Department
• Township of Minden Hills Planning Department

What do I need to submit?

Each municipality will have its own process and requirements, based upon your proposal. Please reach out to the local municipality and a member of staff will assist you. 

Both the County of Haliburton and local municipalities may impose site plan control (s. 41 of the Planning Act) on development approvals. 

The County will typically only require site plan control where a proposed development may impact upon or require improvements to a County road. 

If your proposal is next to a County road, we recommend reaching out to County Planning staff at the pre-consultation phase with the local municipality. This way, we can coordinate with local planners to ensure that any materials being submitted to the local municipality also meet the County's requirements. 

Who is responsible?

The County of Haliburton's Director of Planning has been delegated authority to approve site plans for the County; local planning staff are delegated authority to approve site plans at the local level. 

How do I pre-consult?

Please submit the below materials, and County staff will review your proposal and then refer you to the appropriate person at the local municipality. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your site plan pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the lot ;
• A brief overview of the development proposal;
• A draft site plan (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to submit your proposal to the local municipality for formal pre-consultation comments. If you wish to do this, the County planner will provide you with the information you need to make a submission. 

Local official plans provide detailed policy direction for land use in each of Haliburton County's four local municipalities. Local official plans must conform to the County's Plan, and be consistent with Provincial policy.

Amendments to these plans are required when proponents have proposals that do not conform to a policy or land use designation in the plan (for example: changing a land use designation from 'commercial' to 'residential' to permit the development of housing). 

Who is responsible?

Local municipalities and their Councils are responsible for reviewing and making decisions on whether or not to adopt local official plan amendments. 

The County of Haliburton's Council is responsible for approving, denying, or modifying adopted local official plan amendments. The County is delegated this authority by the Province. 

How do I pre-consult?

You will need to consult with the local municipality's planning department. Once an application has been received, the County of Haliburton is provided an opportunity to review as the approval authority. 

Contact your local municipality's planning department:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands Planning Department
• Municipality of Dysart et al Planning Department
• Municipality of Highlands East Planning Department
• Township of Minden Hills Planning Department

What do I need to submit?

Please contact your local municipality for more information on pre-consultation for local plan amendments.

The County of Haliburton Official Plan provides land use policy direction for all land located within Haliburton County. An amendment may be required to the County's plan where a proposal requires redesignation for land use (for example, the expansion or creation of a new settlement area), or where the applicant wishes to have an exemption to a County policy. 

Applicants who wish to make an Official Plan Amendment application are strongly recommended to pre-consult with the County of Haliburton.

Who is responsible?

Haliburton County Council is responsible for adopting and approving County Official Plan Amendments. The County is delegated this authority by the Province. 

How do I pre-consult?

Please reach out to County Planning staff with the information outlined below. 

What do I need to submit?

Please provide the following information with your County Official Plan Amendment pre-consultation proposal:

• Your name and contact information (telephone number and email address)
• The address and tax roll number of the subject property;
• An overview of the proposal and an explanation of what plan policies require amendment;
• A completed sketch (visit our Site Plans and Drawings page for more information on what to include);
• An authorization from the property owner is required if the person submitting the pre-consultation request is not the property owner.

How do I submit?

You can email your proposal to planning_services@haliburtoncounty.ca, or drop off your materials at our office at 11 Newcastle Street in Minden. A County planner will review the proposal and either schedule a call to discuss, or send you an e-mail with comments. 

What happens next?

Once you've reviewed our comments, you may wish to proceed to a formal application with the County. A County planner will provide you with the information required to make this submission with your comments. 

If your property has frontage on a lake or river in Haliburton County, you are generally required to maintain a natural shoreline. If you wish to make changes to your shoreline (tree removal, adding or removing fill, landscaping), you may require a permit from the County of Haliburton. 

Consult the Shorelines and Lakes page on the County's website for information on the Shoreline Preservation and Shoreline Tree Preservations By-laws. 

Building Services are the responsibility of local municipalities in Haliburton County. It is recommended that you reach out to your local Building Department prior to constructing any structures or buildings on your property. 

Local Building Departments:

• Township of Algonquin Highlands Building Department
• Municipality of Dysart et al Building Department
• Municipality of Highlands East Building Department
• Township of Minden Hills Building Department