What is a Land Severance?
A land severance is the authorized separation of a piece of land to form a new lot or a new parcel of land. This is commonly known as a consent. It is required if you want to sell, mortgage, charge or enter into any agreement (beyond 21 years) for a portion of your land. If the two parts are split already, by a road or railway for example, consent is not needed, but the Land Registry Office requirements must be met.
Most municipalities with an approved Official Plan have specific policies and requirements for land severance. In addition to the division of land, rights-of-way, easements and any change to your existing property boundaries also require land severance approval.
If several severances are intended in the same area, a plan of subdivision may be more appropriate. It is up to the consent-granting authority in your area to decide whether a consent is the best approach or if a plan of subdivision is necessary for the proper and orderly development of your community.
Get In Touch
317 Brock Street West,
P.O. Box 340
Merrickville, Ontario, K0G 1N0
Phone: 613-269-4791
Fax: 613-269-3095
Clerk
Phone: 613-269-4791 Ext. 257
Email:
United Counties of Leeds & Grenville
Secretary-Treasurer of Consent Granting Authority
Phone: 613-342-3840 ext. 2414
Consent - Approval Process
Timeline: 6-30 Months
Pre-consultation Meeting With Village Staff
- Applicant meets with staff to discuss the details of the proposed consent.
- Staff will identify any studies (i.e. EIS, MDS, etc.) or supporting documentation that may be required.
- Note that the Village may require certain studies to be peer-reviewed.
- Early consultation with local departments and external agencies is strongly recommended.
Fill out Application
- Following local consultation, the applicant will fill out the contents of application form and prepare any required plans or study submissions.
- The Village Planner must sign off on the application prior to submission to the United Counties.
Application Submission with United Counties Staff
- Applicant schedules an appointment with the Secretary Treasurer at the United Counties of Leads and Grenville, being the Consent Granting Authority for the Village of Merrickville Wolford.
- Studies, documents, plans and the applicable fee(s) are required upon submission.
Application Notice & Circulation
- The United Counties will review the application for completeness (inclusion of required studies).
- Notice of public meeting will be circulated once the application is deemed complete.
- The application is circulated to neighbouring properties within 60 m of the subject lands and any applicable commenting agencies.
Provisional Consent Decision
- Complete applications are scheduled for review and a decision by the Consent Granting Authority is made within 90 days once all agency comments have been received.
- The Authority will make a decision to approve with conditions, deny, or defer the provisional consent.
Notice & Appeal Rights
- The United Counties will issue the Authority’s Notice of Decision.
- Decisions are subject to a 20-day appeal period.
- Note that third-party appeals are no longer permitted. Only the applicant, local municipality, a public body, or specified person under the Planning Act may appeal the decision.
- Following the 20-day appeal period, the applicant has 2 years to address all agency conditions.
Final Approval
(Conditions Met)
- Final approval and a Certificate of Consent of is granted once all required conditions are completed before the 2-year lapsing date.
FAQs
The indiscriminate division of land without anyone's approval could have a long-term, negative impacts on your community. For example, it could result in compromised well water from too many septic systems, or unsafe road access, etc. Or it might result in damage to the natural environment because lots are too small to meet adequate setbacks, for instance.
Official approval is required to ensure that:
- land severances are considered within an established community planning framework;
- new lots and new land uses do not conflict with the overall future planning goals and policies of your community;
- consideration is given to the effects of the division of land on the site, on the neighbours and on the community as a whole.
