The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal is an independent administrative tribunal that hears applications and appeals on municipal and planning matters such as zoning bylaws, subdivision plans, official plans, consents and minor variances under the Planning Act, land compensation matters under the Expropriations Act, and objections to municipal proposals to borrow to finance capital works under the Municipal Act and other legislation. The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal is designated as part of an adjudicative tribunal cluster by regulation made under the Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act, 2009.

The Lieutenant Governor in Council determines the number of members, makes appointments and designates one member as chair and one or more vice-chairs. Where, (a) the chair is absent or unable to act, a vice-chair designated by the chair; or (b) the office of chair is vacant, a vice-chair designated by the Attorney General, has and shall exercise the jurisdiction and powers of the chair, including the power to complete any unfinished matter. In accordance with the governance structure of the clusters, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may appoint: an executive chair to be responsible for all of the adjudicative tribunals included in a cluster; an associate chair for each adjudicative tribunal that is included in a cluster; one or more of the associate chairs as alternate executive chairs of the cluster; one or more vice-chairs for each adjudicative tribunal that is included in a cluster. The executive chair and each alternate executive chair must also be members of each of the adjudicative tribunals in the cluster, and the associate chair and each vice-chair must also be members of the tribunal to which they are appointed as associate chair and vice-chair.