Surrey gets $500,000 for digital permitting expansion

SURREY, B.C. – Digital permitting efforts for the City of Surrey are getting a major funding boost.

The city’s digital permitting expansion project has been awarded $500,000 in grant money through the province’s 2021 Local Government Development Approvals Program.

The funds will support the acceleration of the development approval process. The project will expand online permit services, increase access, reduce costs and provide greater transparency, which officials say will result in reduced permitting timelines.

“The demand for development in Surrey is rapidly growing, and by improving the development approval process we will increase the delivery of all types of housing, while also supporting economic recovery,” said Mayor Doug McCallum in a media release. “Council has worked hard to modernize the permit process since taking office and this new program, backed by the province, will further reduce wait times and remove barriers to increasing essential housing in our city.”

Surrey recorded $1.46 billion in building permit value in 2020, beating the 10-year annual average. In response to the pandemic, the city launched an online permit application process to streamline approval times.