Council calls for more consultation before province overhauls planning rules that will cost London $97 million over five years

An apartment building is seen under construction in London, Ont. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

London has joined the growing list of municipalities in Ontario seeking more time to consult with the province before controversial housing legislation is passed at Queen’s Park.

On Tuesday, council unanimously sent a message to the provincial government requesting that consultation take place before the anticipated passage of Bill 23, also known as the More Homes Built Faster Act.

Bill 23 is being fast tracked through Queen’s Park, having been introduced on Oct. 25 and closing to comment on Nov.24.

“I hope that the province will take some thoughtful deliberation on the feedback they are getting, not just from us, but very consistent feedback from all municipalities,” Mayor Josh Morgan told his council colleagues.

According to a report by Civic Administration, the province’s proposal to streamline the planning processes to help address the need for more housing across Ontario would leave a massive financial hole in London’s municipal budget.

“We have estimated a funding gap of approximately $97 million over the five year period,” City Treasurer Anna Lisa Barbon told council.

The primary financial costs would be:

• Phasing in development charges (DCs) over five years
• Growth related studies would be ineligible for DCs
• Lost opportunity to add “housing services” to DCs

“The proposed changes will require some potential difficult choices between funding the necessary growth-related infrastructure and passing the additional cost onto homeowners, reducing existing service levels, or delaying the infrastructure investment as a result of reduced cash flow,” Barbon added.

It’s also feared that overriding many longstanding planning policies will threaten heritage, risk the environment, and lead to more urban sprawl.

“It is wholesale changes, it’s just not tweaking here and there,” said Coun. Anna Hopkins who sits on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). “We need time to not only understand where we stand as a municipality, but also how are we approving affordable housing?”