Cumberland updates Official Community Plan
Published 2:30 pm Thursday, January 22, 2026
Cumberland’s new Official Community Plan supports more infill development, food security and reconciliation.
The village adopted the new OCP on Jan. 12. The OCP is a high-level document that guides the village’s direction over the coming years. After a multi-year community consultation process, the Village gave the document its third reading and passed it.
“Cumberland’s new OCP, its goals, policies and vision for the Village truly encapsulate what Cumberland is all about,” says Mayor Vickey Brown. “Retaining the feeling of living in a Village as we grow was central to this work and Council members are grateful to the residents and businesses who took part in the review process. Residents attended open houses and online meetings, filled in surveys, posted comments online, and made written submissions along with attending the public hearing. Their participation provided valuable input that led to the creation of a plan that reflects the voices of the community now and into the future.”
Highlights of the new document include a new urban containment boundary, which would reduce sprawl outside of a specific area of the community. The document also has greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and a new freshwater land use designation over the surface of bodies of water like Comox lake and Maple Lake. Also new this year is the plan to integrate local food security into emergency planning, and other items to help support local food infrastructure within the community and surrounding region.
“While Cumberland does not have any land within the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve and soils are generally not suitable for farming, agriculture can take many forms that do not rely on local soil conditions, such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, container growing with imported soil, vertical farming, and greenhouse growing with soil substitutes,” the OCP document says, adding that it supports local food production ” by removing barriers to different forms of agriculture in Cumberland, designating land for agricultural use, and promoting soil-less agriculture, food storage, processing and packaging within its industrial areas.”
The province mandated that most B.C. municipalities update their OCP by the end of 2025 to meet new provincial housing requirements. Those Provincial proactive planning requirements are met by showing that sufficient land is designated for housing to meet the community’s 20-year housing need of 1,350 units. Development Permit Area guidelines seek to protect sensitive environments and guide the form and character of new development.
The larger residential infill area is key to this. The area allows up to four dwelling units per lot, and has additional areas designated for multi-unit housing to meet Cumberland’s five and 20-year housing need.
“A Development Permit is no longer required for infill housing where there are four or fewer dwelling units,” a release from the Village says.
The document also identifies areas for commercial and industrial development, including a “single industry land use designation that includes industrial and commercial uses, providing greater flexibility for diverse enterprises to locate on industry lands in Cumberland, and which is located outside of the Comox Lake watershed, the region’s drinking water supply.”
Cumberland’s heritage will also be protected, with updated Heritage Conservation Area guidelines that “protect the form and character of existing heritage buildings and ensure new buildings enhance the character of the downtown commercial core.”
The entire 222-page document is available on the Village website, as are maps of designated areas.
