We have a number of commonly-requested applications, licences and permits available on line:

Building Inspections
Building inspections are completed by Township officials.
 Entrance Permits

When a new entrance onto a County road is requested, or when any work, replacement or addition is made to an existing entrance onto a County road you require a permit. This applies to entrances with or without culverts.

Please complete the Entrance Permit Application and refer to the guidelines concerning development adjacent to County Roads, Entrance Permit By-law, Schedule A and the Tariff of Fees By-Law, Schedule A, as Amended, for associated fees and security deposit
Official Plan Amendments

An Official Plan Amendment (OPA) is an application process that can change policies and/or land use designations in an Official Plan. OPA's can apply to a single property, or to an entire area, Township or County.

County OPA process

Before submitting an application, you must meet with us to discuss the proposal, the application process, required fees, and the studies needed to support the Official Plan Amendment application.  To set up this meeting please fill out the Pre-Consultation Request Form and submit it to the Planning department.  Staff contact information can be found on the last page of the form.

After the meeting, the Planning department will send you a meeting summary and list of studies that is needed to deem the application for Official Plan Amendment complete.  It is mandatory that all applications, plans, studies, agreements and fees be submitted together and may include:

Amendments to Township Plans

Contact the Township directly if you want to amend the Official Plan for one of the following Townships:

For all other Townships, follow the County OPA process.

Contact

Call the Planning department at 705-743-0380 (toll-free 1-800-710-9586) or email us at planning@ptbocounty.ca to learn more about OPA's, to arrange a meeting to talk about your proposal, or to find the status of an OPA on file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the OPA process take?
It takes three months or more to finish the OPA process. The length of time can vary depending on the complexity of the proposal, the number of public agencies involved, whether peer review of studies is needed, and timing of Council meetings.
What is the cost of an OPA?
The cost of an OPA can vary. In addition to the application fee, other costs may include supporting studies, peer review agreement and deposit, public agency review, surveying, and other supporting materials.
What is a peer review?

In some cases, the Planning department does not have the expertise on staff to review supporting studies. For example, the County does not employ a hydrogeologist to review hydrogeological studies. In these situations, the Planning department uses an external expert to review the study to ensure it meets any applicable regulations, and that appropriate testing or modelling is completed. The job of our peer reviewer is to look out for the interests of the public and the County.

The applicant pays for all peer review costs through our Peer Review and Planning Agreement.
Oversize and Overweight Load Permit

If you are planning to move an oversize and/or overweight load over County roads a permit is required.

Please read Requirements/Restrictions on pages 3 and 4 of the Oversize and Overweight Load Permit Application,  and reference the Capital Projects Schedule and Reduced Load Restrictions before submitting your permit application.
Road Cut/Occupancy Permit

A permit is required when any work, regardless of impacting traffic or not, is completed within the County of Peterborough's Right-of-Way (ROW). The ROW includes the roadway surface, gravel or paved shoulders, sidewalks, curb and open ditches.

Please complete the Road Cut/Occupancy Permit Application and refer to the Road Cut/Occupancy Permit/Municipal Consents/Special Events on County Roads Permit By-Law, being a by-law to regulate the uses that occupy County of Peterborough right-of-ways.

Refer to the Tariff of Fees By-Law, Schedule A, as Amended, for associated fees and security deposit.
Effective March 19, 2020 - Setback Permits will not be issued until further notice

Please be advised our offices are closed to the public as recommended by public health officials. Staff are still available between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 Monday to Friday, and can be reached via phone or email. Updates regarding closure will be provided on our website at www.ptbocounty.ca

Peterborough County is actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation and has been working closely with Peterborough Public Health and local, provincial and federal partners to manage and respond effectively during this time of crisis.  We are working together to protect our residents and our staff, and to help slow the spread of this virus.
Severance Application

A severance is an application process that creates one or more new lots from an existing property. You can find out more by reading our Land Severance Guide.

Starting a severance

Your first step is to submit a Severance Proposal Form and have a Preliminary Severance Review completed. This free service looks at your proposed severance and lets you know if what you plan to do conforms to the relevant planning policies and makes you aware of any issues.

Submit complete Proposal Forms to our Planning department.

Severance application

Once finished the above step, the next step is to submit an Application for Severance. If any studies are required, they must be submitted at this time along with the application fee.

Submit complete applications to our Land Division office.

Contact

Call the Land Division office at 705-743-3718 (toll-free 1-800-710-9586) or email us at ldivision@ptbocounty.ca to find out more about the process to submit an application, or to find the status of an application on file.

Conditions of severance

Conditions are items that need to be done after the severance has been approved. You have one year from the date of approval to complete your conditions. Once you have met all conditions, the Land Division office will stamp the deed and you can register your new lot.

The instructions and examples below are helpful when completing your conditions of severance.
Sewage and Septic Inspections

Privately owned sewage disposal systems such as septic tank systems must be installed and maintained in accordance with the Ontario Building Code. Peterborough Public Health is responsible for these systems in the County, with the exception of the Township of North Kawartha.
Sign Permits

A permit is required when a sign is requested on private property adjacent to the County road allowance.

Please review the County Road Sign By-Law prior to completing the Sign Permit Application and refer to the Tariff of Fees By-Law, Schedule A, as Amended, for associated fees and security deposit
Special Events/Filming Permits

Complete the permit application, read the requirements / restrictions and follow the directions for submitting to the County.  If you have any questions call us at 705-743-0380 or send us an email.
Subdivisions and Condos

A plan of subdivision or condominium is an application process that creates multiple lots or blocks from an existing property. A registered plan will outline how the lots or blocks can be developed.

Getting started

Before submitting an application, you must meet with us to discuss the proposal, the application process, required fees, and the studies needed to support the application for Plan of Subdivision or Condominium.  To set up this meeting please fill out the Pre-Consultation Request Form and submit it to the Planning department.  Staff contact information can be found on the last page of the form.

After the meeting, the Planning department will send you a meeting summary and list of studies that is needed to deem the application for plan of subdivision/condominium complete.  It is mandatory that all applications, plans, studies, agreements and fees be submitted together and may include:

Contact

Call the Planning department at 705-743-0380 (toll-free 1-800-710-9586) or email us at planning@ptbocounty.ca to learn more about lot creation, to arrange a meeting to talk about your proposal, or to find the status of an application on file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the subdivision/condominium process take?
The Planning Act gives us 180 days to process and make a decision on applications for plans of subdivision and condominium. However, we often find that this is not enough time, especially where the plan is on private services (well and septic) and peer review is involved. Other factors that can affect the length of time in process include the complexity of the proposal, the number of public agencies involved, the number of studies that need to be peer reviewed, and timing of Council meetings.
What is the cost of a plan of subdivision/condominium?
The cost of these development applications can vary. In addition to the application fee, other costs may include supporting studies, peer review agreement and deposit, public agency review, surveying, legal agreements, related applications for Official Plan Amendment and/or Zoning By-Law Amendment, and other supporting materials.
What is a peer review?

In some cases, the Planning department does not have the expertise on staff to review supporting studies. For example, the County does not employ a hydrogeologist to review hydrogeological studies. In these situations, the Planning department uses an external expert to review the study to ensure it meets any applicable regulations, and that appropriate testing or modelling is completed. The job of our peer reviewer is to look out for the interests of the public and the County.

The applicant pays for peer review costs through our Peer Review and Planning Reimbursement Agreement.