Planning Board is required to give and opportunity to residents and other interested persons to make representation before recommending to Council the adoption of and official plan, or a review of an official plan.

Under the Planning Act, government may make regulations with respect to special planning areas. A special planning area is selected when an area is of high significance to the province as a whole, and where unplanned development could have unfortunate results.  Because the potential for development impacts in the Borden-Carleton area was high at the time of the development of the ConfederationBridge, government established the Borden Region Special Planning Area, including the "fixed Link Development Corridor", from the ConfederationBridge to the Albany interchange. At the time, government wished to ensure that arriving visitors were offered a positive and accurate image of the Island's landscape and beauty and that the initial perception experienced by travelers showed the Island at its best.  Regulations are in effect under the Planning Act for the Borden Region Special Planning Area, governing land use and development of:

• Resource land based activities
• Residential development
• Tourism
• Natural environment protection
• The accommodation and integration of the construction and operation of the ConfederationBridge within the existing settlement patters.
• The management of highway traffic in and through the area, and
• The identification of development opportunities.

Borden-Carleton recognizes a legitimate provincial interest in the management of development at the main entrance to the province, and recognizes the need to cooperate with the provincial government.