An official community plan (OCP) is a statement of objectives and policies to guide decisions on planning and land use management, within the area covered by the plan, respecting the purposes of local government. These objectives and policies are used by the Regional Board, Regional District staff, other agencies and the community to guide decisions about future land use.

The Regional District currently maintains eight (8) OCP bylaws for its Electoral Areas. Out of these, six (6) apply to the Okanagan Valley Electoral Areas (i.e. Electoral Areas "A", "C", "D", "E", "F" & "I").

OCP bylaws are subject to periodic review to ensure compliance with Provincial legislation, to allow for regular maintenance in response to day-to-day use of the bylaws and to reflect Regional Board strategic priorities. The typical timeframe for an OCP review is approximately two (2) years and requires the commitment of one senior planning staff member for the duration of the project. Each review also requires the use of an external consultant to assist with community engagement, and the budget allocated for these services since 2012 has been $55,000/ year ($110,000 total).

In November of 2022, the Regional District initiated a proposal to consolidate the six Okanagan Electoral Area OCP bylaws into a new Okanagan Valley OCP bylaw. Reducing the number of OCP bylaws from six (6) to one (1) could allow the consulting budget to be allocated to other Regional Board priorities, while also freeing up staff time to undertake such projects.

NOTE: at its meeting of February 5, 2026, the Electoral Area Services Committee (EASC) of the Regional District Board directed that Electoral Area "I" (Kaleden, Apex Mountain, Twin Lakes, St Andrews) be removed from the Draft Okanagan Valley Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw.

NOTE: at its meeting of May 21, 2026, the EASC of the Regional District Board directed that Electoral Area "E" (Naramata) be removed from the Draft Okanagan Valley OCP Bylaw.