An Official Community Plan (OCP) provides objectives and policies to guide decisions on land use management and development within the areas covered by the Plan. The Local Government Act requires all municipalities in British Columbia to adopt an OCP. 

An OCP does not commit a municipality to proceed with any project specified in the Plan, but all bylaws enacted or works undertaken by a council, after the adoption of an OCP, must be consistent with the plan.

Residents, developers, businesses, and community groups use the Official Community Plan (OCP) to learn about where and how future growth may occur. City Council is guided by the OCP when making decisions about zoning, development and servicing.

As an Official Community Plan, KAMPLAN must be in alignment with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s Regional Growth Strategy.

The Regional Growth Strategy sets an overall vision for the livability of the region and prioritizes goals across the region to meet common social, economic, and environmental objectives. Within the jurisdiction of the City of Kamloops, KAMPLAN provides the highest level of direction for managing land use and development. 

All other bylaws and works undertaken by Council must be consistent with KAMPLAN.

An Official Community Plan provides objectives and policies to guide decisions on planning and land use management within the areas covered by the plan. 

Provincial legislation defines the required and optional content of an OCP. For example, Official Community Plans must include greenhouse gas emissions targets and must identify the approximate location, amount, type and density of residential development required to meet anticipated 20-year housing needs. An OCP may provide policies regarding social well-being, environmental protection, and other topics, but is not required to so. 

While legislation defines the overall content and process requirements of an Official Community Plan, it is up to the local government to determine most of the specifics of how these requirements are implemented. Through detailed technical analysis, review of best practices, and engagement with First Nations, community partners, and the general public, local governments create OCPs that effectively balance legislative requirements with the goals and priorities of residents and people in their jurisdiction.

Once an OCP is in place, initiatives such as capital projects and land use decisions such as rezoning or temporary use permit applications need to be consistent with the community goals articulated in the plan. If a person wishes to change the zoning of a property in a way that is not consistent with the OCP, the plan needs to be amended. 

An Official Community Plan (OCP) is a high-level, strategic document that provides policies for future land use and development. An OCP determines what land uses, densities, and building types (e.g. town centres, high-rise residential, mid-rise residential, highway and service commercial, industrial, parks and open space) should go where within the City’s jurisdiction. 

A Zoning Bylaw is a regulatory tool that is much more specific about land use and density than an OCP and includes detailed requirements on items such as building siting, landscaping, parking and lot coverage. In order to rezone a property from one land use to another, or to increase the maximum density permitted on the property, the rezoning application must be consistent with the Official Community Plan. 

The Local Government Act requires municipalities to include targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and policies and actions with respect to achieving those targets.

KAMPLAN 2018 included emissions targets and policies, and its policies were aligned with the 2010 Sustainable Kamloops Plan: Foundations for Sustainability. As part of the KAMPLAN 2025 update, the OCP will be revised to align with the 2021 Community Climate Action Plan. 

A KAMPLAN update is occurring in 2025. The primary reason for this update is to comply with changes to provincial legislation made in 2023. 

The Local Government Act requires Official Community Plans (OCPs) to be updated to include statements and map designations respecting the approximate location, amount, type and density of residential development required to meet anticipated housing needs over a period of at least 20 years (previously 5 years). 

Local governments must consider their most recent housing needs report when developing the OCP, amending the OCP in relation to 20-year housing needs, or amending the OCP in relation to required housing policies.

Prior to the 2025 update, the last major update to the OCP started in 2014 and concluded in April 2018. Developing KAMPLAN 2018 provided the City with an opportunity to update policies to address current challenges such as climate change, community growth and land use, housing affordability, and others. 

Retaining past policies that were identified as working well, while creating new policies that better reflect Kamloops’ contemporary challenges, the OCP is able to shape future growth to achieve the community’s vision for a sustainable Kamloops.

Other reasons for updating the Official Community Plan include:

•    responding to changing development trends
•    planning for infrastructure needed to support growth
•    providing clear expectations to the community regarding what types of development to expect without a public hearing
•    aligning the OCP with other plans, initiatives, and Council priorities

The OCP may be subject to revisions and amendments from time to time. 

The Local Government Act requires municipalities to consult with the public, impacted parties, government agencies and First Nations when an Official Community Plan (OCP) is developed or revised.

Municipalities must provide one or more opportunities for consultation with the community, organizations, and authorities that will be affected. This required consultation effort is in addition to the requirements for a formal public hearing, and many municipalities go beyond the minimum level of engagement when completing an OCP review because of its importance to citizens and impacted parties.

City staff engage the public, community partners, and First Nations throughout the OCP update through a variety of communication channels and tactics. This input influences the OCP's goals and policies and helps ensure that the OCP reflects the overall ideas and aspirations of the community.