Parkland County's Planning and Development Services manage a variety of land use matters within the County. Depending on the project you are looking to start, there may be various permits and applications with Parkland County and/or other governing bodies to complete as part of your development and/or building process.

Our staff strive to make it as easy as possible to navigate the planning and development process so that you can be successful with your home, commercial or other land use/development project. You can contact us using our contact information found at the bottom of this page for any questions around pre-planning assistance.

Building and Renovating (Your Home)

Looking to start a new home building or renovating project and not sure what approvals or permits you need? We can help you through the building process.

Building and Renovating (Your Home)

View more information on:

  • Building a new home, shed, addition or garage
  • Renovating a home
  • Inspections needed during construction
  • Finishing a basement
  • Installing a hot tub, stove or solar panel system
  • Installing new electrical outlets, plumbing fixtures or gas lines
  • Installing a new private sewage system
  • Building for agricultural purposes (livestock, hay, equipment, etc.)

Planning and Development Process (Your Land)

Looking for planning information and how to develop land within the County? Parkland County oversees land use and development. Learn how to get started with your project and discover which permits and approvals you may need. Our staff and online resources can help guide your development application.

Planning and Development Process (Your Land)

View more information on:

  • Creating a new residential parcel of land
  • Splitting a residential land parcel into smaller parcels
  • Subdivision for commercial/industrial projects, including development agreements and off-site levies
  • Redistricting and land use and land use complaints
  • Land Use Bylaw 
  • Lot line adjustments
  • Consolidating parcels together
  • Creating long-term plans, such as conceptual schemes and area structure plans
  • Statutory planning, including amending the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Area Structure Plans (ASPs)
  • Applying for new addresses for subdivision or changing an address
  • Fire services inspections
  • Document Request

Land Use Bylaw

Our Land Use Bylaw governs all development in Parkland County, including:

  • Regulating the use and size of buildings
  • Categorizing land use districts (zones) and determining development standards for each district
  • Defining the appropriate permitted and discretionary uses for districts
  • Outlining the development, permit, redistricting and Land Use Bylaw text amendment process

View our Land Use Bylaw

Business Development Process (Your Business)

Looking to start or establish a business in an existing home or building, complete renovations on an existing building for your business, or construct a new building for commercial/industrial purposes? Learn about the application process and which permits, inspections and approvals you will need for your project.

Business Development Process (Your Business)

Online Applications, Checklists and Forms (PLANit Parkland)

We have modernized the way you can apply for and manage your planning and development applications, book inspections and check developments happening around the community. With PLANit Parkland, you can manage applications for projects for your home, land or business all from one place – anywhere and anytime!

Check out PLANit Parkland's Web Portal

You can also view available forms required for your PLANit Parkland applications, as well as checklists and other resources to help you prepare for your project. With PLANit Help, you can find step-by-step instructions, videos and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help you navigate PLANit Parkland.

About Parkland County Planning and Development

While Planning and Development Services manages a variety of land use matters in the County, land use planning processes are guided by plans, documents and safety codes at both the provincial and municipal level. Every parcel of land, project and proposal are unique and requirements can differ greatly for every scenario.

Our Planning and Development Services team is made up of four work units, including:

Long Range Planning

Long range planning reviews community and land use needs and goals for a time frame of 30 years or more. They work with neighbouring counties, cities, towns and villages to determine how each municipality will meet their growth goals cooperatively.

Parkland County is also a member of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB). Long Range Planners participate on the board and ensure regional planning policies and procedures are followed.

Current Planning

Current planning focuses on land use for the short- and medium-term and coordinates the preparation of land for development. This work ranges from rural subdivisions to large scale country residential, commercial and industrial development.

Subdivision inquiries

If you are looking to determine the requirements for subdivision and development of a parcel, please contact a County Current Planner, who can assess your proposal and advise on requirements and next steps.

Approach construction

If you are looking for information on constructing approaches, please contact our Engineering Services team.

Development Planning

The Development Planning work unit is responsible for ensuring proposed and existing buildings comply with the Land Use Bylaw by reviewing and permitting proposed development applications and compliance requests.

Safety Codes Services

Safety Codes Services is responsible for reviewing and issuing permits. They ensure that construction complies with all provincial building, safety and legislation codes. 

Municipal Development Plan

Learn more about Parkland County's Municipal Development Plan (MDP), which establishes a vision for the County's growth over the next 30 years. This future direction identifies where growth will occur, including residential, industrial and recreational development. The MDP also contains policies for future land use, infrastructure and transportation requirements, as well as areas for environmental protection.

Land Use Planning Hierarchy and Decisions Flow Chart

Land use planning in Alberta must follow plans and regulations at both the provincial and municipal levels of government. With the implementation of the Provincial Land Use Framework and the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, some planning decisions will be made at the regional level as well.

Planning decisions are informed by the following planning documents, implemented by various levels of governments and authorities:

This diagram outlines the order in which land use planning decisions flow:

County Documents That Inform Planning Decisions

Many County documents, such as bylaws, policies, procedures and directives inform planning decisions in Subdivision and Current Planning, Development Planning and Long Range Planning. View the following documents for more information included in each process.

 

Subdivision and Current Planning

The following Parkland County bylaws, policies, procedures and directives inform Subdivision and Current Planning decisions. Find all documents with our bylaws search, unless otherwise indicated.


Bylaws
  • Collection of Arterial/Collector Roadway Off-site Levies Bylaw
Policies
Procedures
  • Dark Sky Outdoor Lighting Procedures
  • Dedication and use of MR / ER / ERE and Procedures
  • Letter of Credit Procedures
  • Naming Procedures
  • Off-site Levy Assessment and Collection Procedures
  • Public Consultation Processes for Planning and Development Procedures
  • Use of Municipal Reserve, Environmental Reserve and Environmental Reserve Easement Procedures
Directives

Development Planning

The following Parkland County bylaws, policies and procedures inform Development Planning decisions. Find all documents with our bylaws search, unless otherwise indicated.


Bylaws
  • Collection of Arterial/Collector Roadway Off-site Levies Bylaw
Policies
Procedures
  • Dark Sky Outdoor Lighting Procedures 
  • Encroachment Agreements Procedures
  • Letter of Credit Procedures
  • Off-site Levy Assessment and Collection Procedures
  • Public Consultation Processes for Planning and Development Procedures

Long Range Planning

The following Parkland County policies and directives inform Long Range Planning decisions:

Intermunicipal Development Plans

Parkland County develops Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs) with many partner municipalities. An IDP is a statutory land use plan, prepared by two or more municipalities that share a common border.

An IDP ensures future development and land use policies are coordinated between municipalities. IDPs also help reduce the possibility of any future land use conflicts.

View IDPs that Parkland County has prepared in partnership with the following municipalities:

View frequently asked questions around IDPs:

What is the purpose of an IDP?

An IDP ensures that long-term growth along a shared municipal boundary is coordinated and provides assurance of future development goals to residents that live within the plan area.
Why is an IDP developed in the first place?

The completion of an IDP is a new requirement under the Government of Alberta, which requires that all municipalities that share a common boundary adopt an IDP.
Is an IDP related to a specific development project?

IDP projects are not triggered by a specific development project. An IDP is a long range planning document that outlines how lands along the municipal boundary will be developed in the future. It does not propose any specific development project.
Will an IDP rezone my land?

No, your land's existing land use district is not affected by an IDP.
What is the purpose of an Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF)?

An ICF is a tool used to facilitate cooperation between neighbouring municipalities to ensure municipal services are provided to residents in an efficient and cost-effective manner. For example, it could include services such as fire response or bylaw enforcement.