The Central Pickering Development Plan is prepared under the provisions of the Ontario Planning and Development Act, 1994.

The Plan affects an area of land described in the Development Planning Area Order made under section 2(1) of the Ontario Planning and Development Act, 1994 dated March 25, 2004 and shown opposite. Generally the Development Planning Area is bounded by the CPR Belleville Line in the south, Sideline 16/Pickering-Ajax boundary in the east, Highway 7 in the north and the York-Durham Town Line in the west. The Development Planning Area is located entirely within the City of Pickering and the Regional Municipality of Durham.