Under pressure about restrictions on additional residences and non-farm uses in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the B.C. government has relaxed its new rules for additional homes on farmland.

The B次元官网网址済randfathering periodB次元官网网址� for manufactured homes occupied by farmersB次元官网网址� immediate family members has been extended until Feb. 22, 2020, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham announced Thursday. ThatB次元官网网址檚 a one-year extension on the original deadline to have local government and Agricultural Land Commission approval.

The change comes after families bought modular or mobile homes for family members found out their installation was not approved under changes to ALR regulations that took effect in February.

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B次元官网网址淎s weB次元官网网址檝e worked to make long-overdue changes to help farmers farm, we heard from people living in the ALR, many who said they arenB次元官网网址檛 farming but purchased ALR land for residential use,B次元官网网址� Popham said in a statement issued by the ministry. B次元官网网址淲e understand that some have been caught in the transition. WeB次元官网网址檝e listened and have given people a bit more time to get their permits in place.B次元官网网址�

Legislation that took effect in February focused on protecting farmland from dumping of construction soil and debris, construction of oversized homes and non-farm uses. The NDP government also moved to eliminate the two-zone structure of the ALR, which the previous B.C. Liberal government put in place to ease restrictions on farmland outside the major production zones of the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Okanagan Valley and southern Vancouver Island.

The changes also eliminated the six regional panels of the land commission, replacing them with regional representatives on a provincial panel that oversees land use decisions.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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