City of Surrey's Official Community Plan
and Development Permit Area
for the Protection of Farming
The City of Surrey was the first local government to use the
agricultural
Development Permit Area (DPA)
provisions. The following provides a summary of key sections of
Surrey's Official Community Plan (OCP) relevant to the establishment of
the DPA and the actual provisions of the Development Permit
contained in the Plan.
The City's 1996 Official Community Plan contains ten major
planning strategies. One of which is to "Protect Agriculture and Agricultural Areas". The Plan includes a progressive set of policies to
achieve this strategy. Addressing compatibility along the City's
agriculture's interface is a centre-piece of the Plan's
Agricultural Policies.
"Promote Compatibility Between Agricultural and Non-Agricultural
Land Uses" is the initial agricultural issue addressed by the
Plan's agricultural section and is accompanied by the following
policies.
| Buffering |
1. |
Encourage the development of effective buffers
along the boundary of agriculturally designated land. |
| Adjacent Land Use |
2. |
Encourage adjacent land uses to be compatible
with existing farm use and ensure that the impacts (e.g. water
runoff from upland areas) on agricultural lands will be
minimized. |
| Linear Development |
3. |
Discourage, wherever possible, linear
developments (i.e. hydro corridors, highways, pipelines, parks)
through the Agricultural Land Reserve. When unavoidable, ensure
that their impacts on the agricultural land are mitigated. |
| Recreational Uses |
4. |
Limit recreational uses on agricultural lands. |
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"In addition to
establishing guidelines to ensure and enhance compatibility
between land uses along the agricultural fringe, the City will
continue to address farm viability..."
Surrey OCP - Page 90
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A key "Implementation" measure of
the Plan to promote compatibility is:
●
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Use the development permit area guidelines to establish
effective buffers along the agricultural fringe. |
The Plan's statement under �Relationship to land use strategy�
further emphasizes
the importance of providing for edge planning measures when stating
that:
●
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Those areas adjoining agriculturally designated lands will be
subject to Agricultural Development Permit Area Guidelines. |
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 |
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Councilor Marvin Hunt of Surrey explains the
concept of a DPA for the protection of farming to a group of
fellow Union of BC Municipalities delegates during the Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries farm tour - September 2003 |
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