What is an official community plan?

An official community plan (OCP) provides direction to guide decisions on planning and land use management within the jurisdiction of a city. The City of Kamloops’ OCP is commonly known as KAMPLAN and was most recently updated in 2025.

The OCP is a strategic visionary document that brings the values, priorities, and aspirations of the community to life. It is the City's highest level land use planning document; it includes goals and policies for topic areas such as land management and development, housing, transportation, infrastructure, the environment, parks and recreation, economic development, and more.

Why is an official community plan important?

OCPs are required to be adopted by municipalities in British Columbia. While an OCP does not commit a municipality to proceed with any project specified in the plan, all bylaws enacted or works undertaken by the local government need to be consistent with the plan.

Updating the OCP also helps the City respond to changing development trends, plan for infrastructure needed to accommodate housing growth, and provide clarity to the public about what kinds of development they might expect in their neighbourhood.

How is an official community plan used?

An OCP guides local government decision-making, particularly around land use matters. For example, an application to rezone a property needs to be consistent with the OCP land use designations and policies, and a development permit application needs to comply with the guidelines provided in the plan.