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Organized land use planning has been practiced in Pictou County since 1961. Land use planning affects almost every aspect of life. It helps determine where homes and factories are built, where parks are provided, where hospitals, schools, roads, sewers and other essential services should be located in our communities. Basically land use planning applies to our management of the land and resources of our communities. It enables each community to establish goals and work out ways to achieve them while keeping in mind important social, economic and environmental considerations. Through land use planning, the interests of individual property owners are balanced with the wider interests and objectives of the entire community.

The Towns in Pictou County guide the growth and development of land through a process called zoning distircts. Each town's zoning by-law helps implement the objectives and policies of the municipality's official plan. The zoning by-law states what land uses are permitted in each zone, and provides detailed information such as where buildings or structures may be located, standards for lot sizes, parking requirements, building height, and setback from the street. By managing the use of land and future development in our communities, zoning helps to maintain existing property values and protect property owners from the development of conflicting land uses.

In addition to providing land use planning and development services, the Division also provides building inspection services, to ensure that a consistent level of building construction and safety standards are maintained throughout the five towns.