For anyone who has gone up against the Ontario Municipal Board and lost, this may come as welcome news.
The province is getting rid of the OMB and replacing it with a Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, which will have less power.
Under new reforms, the tribunal will only make decisions on whether or not a municipality has followed its planning process and land use plans. If it hasn't, the issue will be sent back to the municipality for reconsideration.
That will mean fewer municipal decisions can be overturned than under the current process, in which each dispute is treated as if it were new, disregarding the decision the local government has made.
The reforms also include giving information and support to residents who want to appeal a municipal decision.
Other changes include prohibiting appeals of municipalities' development plans around major transit hubs.