The ACW Official Plan is a document that establishes the vision for the future of the Township and provides policy direction to manage future land use and growth. It determines how land can be used, what services are needed and when parts of the Township will grow.
The ACW Official Plan was first adopted in October 2003 provides the framework for establishing land use planning policies that guide the growth of the Township.
Official Plan Review 2021
At its January 19th, 2021 meeting, Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Council adopted a resolution to initiate a review of the Township’s Official Plan. The Planning Act, which is the legislation that regulates land use planning in Ontario, requires that municipalities update their Official Plans through a formal review every 5 years. The last time the ACW Official Plan was reviewed was 2013.
Some goals of the review are to:
- Ensure the ACW Official Plan is in conformity with
the Huron County Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), and the
Planning Act.
- The Huron County Official Plan is a broad document that governs planning and development across the county. All lower-tier municipal plans are required to be in conformance with the Huron County Official Plan.
- The PPS contains the provincial government’s policies on planning and development in Ontario. It is a statement of how and where development should occur. Both the ACW and Huron County Official Plan are required to be in compliance with the PPS.
- Review policies and make amendments which reflect the current direction of the community and other trends influencing land use and development, such as housing trends.
- Ensure Official Plan mapping is accurate and reflects the changing landscape of the community.
- Strategically designate areas to which Future Development should take place.
The ACW Zoning By-law is not under review at this time. It is anticipated that a review of the zoning by-law will take place once the Official Plan review process is complete.
A Public Meeting was held March 9, 2021 for the purpose of gathering feedback from the public as to what revisions to the Official Plan may be required. The public had the opportunity to provide input and ask questions to both staff and Council.
To see what is happening next view the Timeline for Official Plan Review
What does an Official Plan do?
- makes sure that growth is coordinated and meets your community’s needs
- helps all members of your community understand how their land may be used now and in the future
- helps decide where roads, watermains, sewers, garbage dumps, parks and other services will be built
- provides a framework for establishing municipal zoning bylaws to set local regulations and standards, like the size of lots and height of buildings
- provides a way to evaluate and settle conflicting land uses while meeting local, regional and provincial interests
- shows council’s commitment to the future growth of your community
If you’re interested in learning more about Official Plans and how they work in Ontario, please visit the Citizen’s guide to land use planning.
Have Your Say…
A project page on the Huron County Connects website has been added where you can have your say on the Ashfield Colborne Wawanosh Official Plan Review. Have Your Say on the project here.
