Councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra Demand 60-Day Permit Approvals Under Surrey 2050 Plan

SURREY, BC — Surrey City Councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra (Safe Surrey Coalition) voiced strong support for streamlining municipal residential construction approvals during deliberations on the draft Surrey 2050 Official Community Plan (OCP).

Expedited Building Permits and Transit Corridor Density

Councillors Elford and Nagra proposed a binding municipal service guarantee requiring staff to process multi-family residential building permits within 60 days along the upcoming Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension corridor. They argued that administrative delays in the planning department have stalled affordable rental housing starts.

Councillor Elford underscored that rapid housing delivery near future rapid transit stations in Fleetwood and Clayton is vital to maintaining affordability for young families and seniors.

Fiscal Policy and Tax Freeze Commitments

Both councillors advocated for a multi-year municipal property tax freeze, urging council to offset revenue gaps by capturing development cost charges from booming transit-oriented developments.

Surrey Connect majority members expressed caution regarding the fiscal viability of municipal tax freezes given rising regional infrastructure costs.

Next Legislative Phase

The Surrey Planning and Development Department will submit final revisions to the Surrey 2050 OCP in October.