Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
Jun 25th 2008, 8:43 pm
#16
Banned
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: New Caledonia
Posts: 1,810
Re: Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
When you get your Real Estate licence, it allows you to deal in all forms of Real Estate, but all you have covered in any detail is residential, You do a small bit of Commercial and hardly anything on Farms.
For any speciality (other than residential) a normal Real estate agent could be worse than useless. In fact I would go so far as to say that if they don't know what they are talking about they are a Liability Case waiting to happen. My Broker will simply not let us trade Commercial or Farms unless we have the appropriate qualifications.
In the more populated areas you will find Brokerages that specialize in Commercial, and some that specialize in Farms. DO NOT use anybody who does not have qualifications or experience, I should have made that clearer in my first post.
For any speciality (other than residential) a normal Real estate agent could be worse than useless. In fact I would go so far as to say that if they don't know what they are talking about they are a Liability Case waiting to happen. My Broker will simply not let us trade Commercial or Farms unless we have the appropriate qualifications.
In the more populated areas you will find Brokerages that specialize in Commercial, and some that specialize in Farms. DO NOT use anybody who does not have qualifications or experience, I should have made that clearer in my first post.
Aug 8th 2008, 12:25 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: New Brunswick Canada
Posts: 35
Re: Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
I would be grateful if someone could advise me about the building/planning rules in New Brunswick.
I am planning to open a small riding school and I am thinking about buying a house with land and then building the required facilities ie. stables and indoor riding arena (approx 20x40m) as there don't seem to be many properties with existing buildings large enough to convert.
Is land rated in some way as in UK eg. Agricultural, brown field, outstanding natural beauty etc.? If so, does Equine business come under Agricultural? (in UK it does not but in other European countries eg. Holland, it does)
Obviously this is totally subject to a particular property but I would like to make sure I'm asking the right questions when I'm making enquiries!
Once again, any help and advice offered is greatly appreciated
I am planning to open a small riding school and I am thinking about buying a house with land and then building the required facilities ie. stables and indoor riding arena (approx 20x40m) as there don't seem to be many properties with existing buildings large enough to convert.
Is land rated in some way as in UK eg. Agricultural, brown field, outstanding natural beauty etc.? If so, does Equine business come under Agricultural? (in UK it does not but in other European countries eg. Holland, it does)
Obviously this is totally subject to a particular property but I would like to make sure I'm asking the right questions when I'm making enquiries!
Once again, any help and advice offered is greatly appreciated
What part of NB are you looking at to move to?
Planning regs differ in different regions of the province but in general are far easier to navigate than in the UK. Many rural areas have virtually no planning rules at all. This means in such areas (the majority) there is no zoning of land uses. This can be a mixed blessing in that you may build your dream home only to have a large industrial-type activity start up next door to you with no official notice of any kind. I have been involved in local government in rural NB for some time and also in the preparation of rural plans, which typically cover a fairly large region and which can have differing requirements than a neighbouring planning district. It is a patchwork. However if you buy outside a municipality you should be able to do what you have described reasonably easily. You can access all NB legislation very easily at :
http://www.gnb.ca/0062/acts/index-e.asp
Also, planning maters are adminstered by the NB Dept of local government. Look over their pages at:
http://www.gnb.ca/0370/index-e.asp
For example the Local governance resource manual. The government is trying to promote a new concept of rural communities with elected councils but so far there are only 3, that cover a fraction of the province. In practice in rural areas a lot of building and development goes on without little or no inspections or official oversight of any kind as the number of inspectors is very low.
Real estate agents, well many in NB are very poor I am afraid. A lot are part-time and make little effort to find out salient points, pay little attention to detail and will try to sell properties they have never even visited themselves. On the other hand there are good ones as well, but be prepared to sift though a sizeable selection before finding those good ones.
Glad to try and help answer more q's.
regards,
Rob
Aug 8th 2008, 8:17 pm
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,351
Re: Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
Hi Superfox,
Planning regs differ in different regions of the province but in general are far easier to navigate than in the UK. Many rural areas have virtually no planning rules at all. This means in such areas (the majority) there is no zoning of land uses. This can be a mixed blessing in that you may build your dream home only to have a large industrial-type activity start up next door to you with no official notice of any kind. I have been involved in local government in rural NB for some time and also in the preparation of rural plans, which typically cover a fairly large region and which can have differing requirements than a neighbouring planning district. It is a patchwork. However if you buy outside a municipality you should be able to do what you have described reasonably easily.
Planning regs differ in different regions of the province but in general are far easier to navigate than in the UK. Many rural areas have virtually no planning rules at all. This means in such areas (the majority) there is no zoning of land uses. This can be a mixed blessing in that you may build your dream home only to have a large industrial-type activity start up next door to you with no official notice of any kind. I have been involved in local government in rural NB for some time and also in the preparation of rural plans, which typically cover a fairly large region and which can have differing requirements than a neighbouring planning district. It is a patchwork. However if you buy outside a municipality you should be able to do what you have described reasonably easily.
Hello Rob...I'm in the planning consulting field here in eastern Ontario...My inlaws are from NB and what you say rings true from my experience...there is some real crap built there w/o forethought for the long term impact next to a beautiful farmhouse or residential area.
If there is no zoning to speak of what is in place to protect agricultural lands or to prevent the overloading of an aquifer etc.
Your avatar indicates you are from WA but you do planning in NB?....
BTW...what kind of planning goes on in Miramichi etc....is there any zoning there?
Aug 13th 2008, 8:50 am
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: New Brunswick Canada
Posts: 35
Re: Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
Hello Clynnog,
What protects ag land in NB? For the most part, nothing, I am afraid. There is a register of agricultural land, but it provides no protection. Existing legislation heavily favours developers. There is a screening process to check for water potability and availability when significant developments are being planned (done by the Dept of Environment) but that too is subject to overide by the regional planning commissions, who are under-resourced (big surprise eh!?). In some areas this is becoming critical as wells dry up due to over-use. Development keeps winning out regardless of sense. Susceptible floodplains and coast is being developed constantly, guess who will get the inevitable damage bills?
Areas of NB that have rural plans all have zoning in place which does provide some guidance but unfortunately most of the province still lacks plans. It is up to each region to request that one be developed and on the whole, communities don't bother or aren't organised enough. Where I live we developed one over a 5-y process and it is now law, a good feeling, but lots more to do.
I can't remember off the top of my head what is in place in Miramichi but I would guess not much outside the municipal zones.
I live outside Fredericton but am presently working on a contract in Australia for a while!
cheers
Rob
What protects ag land in NB? For the most part, nothing, I am afraid. There is a register of agricultural land, but it provides no protection. Existing legislation heavily favours developers. There is a screening process to check for water potability and availability when significant developments are being planned (done by the Dept of Environment) but that too is subject to overide by the regional planning commissions, who are under-resourced (big surprise eh!?). In some areas this is becoming critical as wells dry up due to over-use. Development keeps winning out regardless of sense. Susceptible floodplains and coast is being developed constantly, guess who will get the inevitable damage bills?
Areas of NB that have rural plans all have zoning in place which does provide some guidance but unfortunately most of the province still lacks plans. It is up to each region to request that one be developed and on the whole, communities don't bother or aren't organised enough. Where I live we developed one over a 5-y process and it is now law, a good feeling, but lots more to do.
I can't remember off the top of my head what is in place in Miramichi but I would guess not much outside the municipal zones.
I live outside Fredericton but am presently working on a contract in Australia for a while!
cheers
Rob
Sep 3rd 2008, 8:57 pm
#21
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,351
Re: Getting planning permission in New Brunswick
Hello Clynnog,
What protects ag land in NB? For the most part, nothing, I am afraid. There is a register of agricultural land, but it provides no protection. Existing legislation heavily favours developers. There is a screening process to check for water potability and availability when significant developments are being planned (done by the Dept of Environment) but that too is subject to overide by the regional planning commissions, who are under-resourced (big surprise eh!?). In some areas this is becoming critical as wells dry up due to over-use. Development keeps winning out regardless of sense. Susceptible floodplains and coast is being developed constantly, guess who will get the inevitable damage bills?
Areas of NB that have rural plans all have zoning in place which does provide some guidance but unfortunately most of the province still lacks plans. It is up to each region to request that one be developed and on the whole, communities don't bother or aren't organised enough. Where I live we developed one over a 5-y process and it is now law, a good feeling, but lots more to do.
I can't remember off the top of my head what is in place in Miramichi but I would guess not much outside the municipal zones.
cheers
Rob
What protects ag land in NB? For the most part, nothing, I am afraid. There is a register of agricultural land, but it provides no protection. Existing legislation heavily favours developers. There is a screening process to check for water potability and availability when significant developments are being planned (done by the Dept of Environment) but that too is subject to overide by the regional planning commissions, who are under-resourced (big surprise eh!?). In some areas this is becoming critical as wells dry up due to over-use. Development keeps winning out regardless of sense. Susceptible floodplains and coast is being developed constantly, guess who will get the inevitable damage bills?
Areas of NB that have rural plans all have zoning in place which does provide some guidance but unfortunately most of the province still lacks plans. It is up to each region to request that one be developed and on the whole, communities don't bother or aren't organised enough. Where I live we developed one over a 5-y process and it is now law, a good feeling, but lots more to do.
I can't remember off the top of my head what is in place in Miramichi but I would guess not much outside the municipal zones.
cheers
Rob
If water potability is the only criteria driving the process for rural development who does the EA's for road construction....snowplow drivers?
