Coalhurst, Lethbridge County sign shared development services agreement

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The Town of Coalhurst and Lethbridge County are now part of a regional partnership that will create a shared service model for land use planning and development. Coalhurst Mayor Deb Florence and County Reeve Tory Campbell announced the partnership on June 22 at the Lethbridge County office and signed the Regional Planning and Development Services Partnership.

The partnership will launch in January 2027, and Campbell said it is about increasing level of service. “Being more responsive, tighter turnaround times, and elevating the service that we’re currently providing to our residents,” said Campbell.

He explained that the partnership will provide a central point of service for planning and development matters in Coalhurst and Lethbridge County, including: Long-term planning strategies, including Municipal Development Plans, Land Use Bylaws and growth studies Planning applications, including Area Structure Plans, land use redesignations, and subdivision applications Development permits Compliance certificates Planning and development inquiries

“We are going to increase the level of service to our residents, in both of our municipalities. We’re going to have more expertise. We’re going to turn things around faster,” said Campbell. “And you’ll really see that from an application perspective, how we handle that, how we expedite those processes.” Once the new model is in place, residents, businesses, developers, and investors working on land development projects in Coalhurst or Lethbridge County will be able to access support through one centralized department.

The partnership follows a review by both municipalities of how planning and development services are currently delivered, and Mayor Florence said this partnership is about stronger services, shared expertise and responsible growth, while ensuring that they can both make decisions that benefit their communities while working together.

“This wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the willingness to collaborate, so we appreciate the partnership. We’re looking forward to the future, and what this ends up being,” said Florence. She said that as the Town of Coalhurst continue to grow, it is important that residents, businesses, and developers have clear, reliable access to planning and development support, which is why they approached Lethbridge County to find a regional solution.

“This collaboration allows us to provide that service in a more sustainable way, while keeping Coalhurst’s local priorities and decision-making at the centre. This is about preparing our community for thoughtful growth and ensuring we have the right supports in place for the people who live, work, and invest here,” said Florence.

Campbell added that planning and development are critical services for the growth and well-being of their communities and a strong program allows homes to be built, businesses to grow and expand, and continued investment to take root.

“By working together with Coalhurst and combining our resources, we can offer residents, businesses, developers and investors better access to the services they need and a more streamlined experience than under our previous model,” said Campbell.

Under this new model, staff will be shared across both municipalities. In terms on how services will change, all in-progress planning and development applications will be transitioned to Lethbridge County Regional Planning and Development on Jan.1, 2027.

While subdivision applications will transition in stages. Subdivision applications are currently administered by the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, also known as ORRSC. Both municipalities have provided notice to ORRSC to end their agreements by Dec. 31, 2026. Starting Aug. 1, 2026, Lethbridge County will begin accepting subdivision applications for properties within Lethbridge County only.

Any County subdivision applications still in progress with ORRSC will transfer to the County on Sept. 1, 2026, and then to Lethbridge County Regional Planning and Development after Dec. 31, 2026. Subdivision applications within Coalhurst will continue to be managed by ORRSC until Dec. 31, 2026.

Any Coalhurst applications still in progress at that time will transfer to Lethbridge County Regional Planning and Development. More information will be shared in the coming months as the municipalities prepare to move to the new model. Coalhurst and Lethbridge County are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for residents, businesses, developers, and investors working through land use planning or development projects.