Surrey council eases up on illegal construction enforcement with one-year pilot program

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. Photo by City Of Surrey /Submitted

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The City of Surrey says a decision this week to ease up on enforcement of illegal construction sites is intended to treat residents more reasonably by taking a compliance-based approached. But one opposition councillor questioned the timing of the move, noting an election is around the corner.

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Mayor Brenda Locke instructed city staff at the end of April to review current building permit, inspection, bylaw compliance, and stop-work order processes, to see if there was a way to get more homeowners to voluntarily comply.

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The staff review found that stop-work orders were being issued on projects where there was no immediate life-safety risk, projects that could have been brought into compliance after the unpermitted work was done, and for first-time offenders. Staff then recommended a pilot program in which stop-work orders would only be issued if the construction work posed a risk to someone’s life.

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“The intent of the motion is not to weaken building safety standards, and the city will continue to act quickly and decisively where there is an immediate and serious life-safety concern,” said the staff report from Ron Gill, general manager of planning and development, and Brian Edwards, general manager of public safety.

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Council passed the motion Monday night, with the exception of opposition Coun. Doug Elford.

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In an interview Tuesday, Elford accused Locke and her slate of being “hypocritical,” noting that it was Surrey Connect — through former councillor Jack Hundial — that introduced the crackdown on illegal construction in the first place in 2021. The slate continued making the issue a priority, with Locke establishing a bylaw enforcement team in 2022.

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“It’s five months before the election, but we’re giving this a one-year trial. If this was so problematic, why didn’t we do this before?” Elford told Postmedia.

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The councillor said he believes there is a lobby group complaining about the stop-work orders, and that may be the intent behind the motion.

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The city did not respond to Postmedia’s questions by deadline.

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Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke delivers her 2026 State of the City address on May 14, 2026. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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Under the pilot program, staff will consider if un-permitted work could be made compliant, and whether the owner is a first-time offender. In those cases, and if the project isn’t an immediate safety risk, the owner may receive a warning instead of a stop-work order.

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The warning letter would instruct homeowners to stop construction for a period of time in order to obtain a permit, bring the construction work into compliance, or apply for a demolition permit.

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“The letter will provide clear instructions to the property owner on how to bring the property into compliance. It will include a phone number and email for staff who will be able to assist, provide resources (including identifying appropriate consultants/professionals), clarify next steps, deadlines, and consequences for failing to comply,” the report states.