Comprehensive Official Plan Review

The County of Essex has conducted a comprehensive review of its Official Plan. The review began in 2022 and was completed in the autumn of 2024. On this page you will find the background information and latest updates.

The final draft of the new County of Essex Official Plan and schedule maps, as well as a summary of public feedback, are available below:

We thank all those who provided comments throughout the Official Plan Review process. The County Official Plan Team received more than 100 comments from the public, agencies, community stakeholders, local municipalities and the Province that have been considered and incorporated into the final draft of the Official Plan.

Council passed a by-law on Nov. 6, 2024, adopting the new County of Essex Official Plan, which has been sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final approval.

Open House

Information was presented at a public Open House in McGregor on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Statutory Public Meeting

A statutory Public Meeting was held Thursday, September 5^th, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the County of Essex Council Chambers, Civic Centre, located at 360 Fairview Avenue West in Essex.

The Public Meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for the public to offer comments regarding the draft of the new Official Plan. The final version of the new County of Essex Official Plan will be adopted at a later County Council Meeting. After County Council adopts the new Official Plan, it will be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final approval.

To view the full Notice of Public Meeting, click below.

What is an Official Plan and how does it affect the daily lives of people who live and work in Essex County?

People want to live in vibrant places with economic opportunities and town/village centres nearby that are safe, walkable and filled with a wide range of activities and services. They also want to live in places that have good schools, libraries, museums, recreational facilities and green spaces that they can enjoy year-round.

Our region is fortunate to have many of these attributes that make it a highly desirable place to live, work and play. We also have land and water resources and climatic conditions that can support strong and vibrant agricultural and tourism sectors.

A Municipal Official Plan is one of the most important policy documents that a council adopts.

The overall health, well-being and prosperity of people living in this region will be impacted and shaped by the goals and policies that are contained within the Official Plan.

It will guide and provide direction to landowners, business owners, developers/homebuilders and the community at large on matters such as:

• the location and extent of urban (settlement area) boundaries in each of local municipality;
• population, employment and housing projections, and corresponding land resources needed to meet these projections;
• how growth is managed for fiscal and environmental sustainability;
• housing affordability, residential intensification, and how communities are designed, serviced and built (and new lots are created);
• land uses and activities that are to be encouraged and supported in rural areas;
• agricultural land and natural heritage protection and enhancement;
• how people and property are protected from flooding and other hazards;
• climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• cultural heritage and archaeological resource conservation;
• transportation and mobility for all types of vehicles and users; and
• other policy matters and implementation tools as required to responsibly address Planning Act and Provincial Policy Statement requirements.

Why is a review being undertaken at this time of the existing County of Essex Official Plan?

In 2020, the Province of Ontario adopted a new Provincial Policy Statement. The Planning Act requires municipalities to review their Official Plan once every five years to ensure that it is up to date and consistent with the statement.

The current County Official Plan was adopted and approved in 2014, based on background work that started in 2009.

Since that time, residents of this region have witnessed and are continuing to experience the effects of fundamental changes that are taking place as a result of a changing climate, migration from other parts of Ontario and from overseas, and the changing nature of employment and how we now live our daily lives.

This Official Plan Review provides a forum for elected officials (decision makers), working collaboratively with key stakeholders and the community at large, to formulate new fiscally and environmentally responsible policies that can not only take advantage of these regional attributes, but can also respond to the opportunities, challenges and issues that lie ahead.

It should be noted that the Planning Act requires that all local Official Plans (as adopted by each of the seven Essex County municipalities) conform to the approved County of Essex Official Plan. All public works undertaken by local municipalities and by the county and all zoning by-laws adopted by each local council are also required to conform to County Official Plan.

Official Plan Review Work Program

The Official Plan Review is being undertaken in three phases, including:

Phase 1 – February 2022 to October 2022

Consultations with stakeholders, council and the community were held. Participants provided input about Essex County’s strengths, challenges and opportunities. They also addressed how the Official Plan can improve the health, well-being and prosperity of residents. The results of the consultations, as well as background research and growth analysis, are summarized in two reports produced during Phase 1.

The Background Report contains important information about:

• How the County Official Plan affects the daily lives of Essex County residents;
• The Provincial Planning Framework;
• Planning in a two-tier governance structure;
• Why the Official Plan Review is being undertaken at this time;
• How the region has changed over the last two decades;
• Settlement area changes;
• Lot creation approvals granted by the County;
• The County’s Climate Change Emergency Declaration and the County Energy Plan;
• The Healthy Places, Healthy People Statement of Principles; and
• A detailed summary of the initial round of consultations.

The Growth Analysis Report was prepared by Watson & Associates, with input provided by County planning staff, local municipal planning staff and the County planning adviser. Some of the key findings include:

• Over the next 30 years Essex County’s population is forecast to grow from 199,100 to between 268,100 and 315,000. This amounts to an average of 2,300 to 3,900 additional residents per year, compared to an average of 1,040 per year over the past 15 years;
• The county’s population is also getting older and the fastest growing segment of the population over the next 30 years will be those 75 years and over;
• An increasing demand is anticipated for medium and high-density forms of housing, including purpose-built seniors’ housing;
• Based on growth forecasts, the county will need to accommodate the addition of 990 to 1,430 households per year, compared to an average of 606 new households per year over the last 15 years; and
• The number of jobs in Essex County is expected to grow from 72,300 to between 107,900 and 124,200 by 2051.

Phase 2 – January 2023 to November 2023

• Based on the scope of the additional work that is identified in the Phase 1 discussion paper, background studies and technical reports will be undertaken in Phase 2. One of those will be completing an analysis of future land requirements based on growth projections that are generated during Phase 1.
• A Policy Options and Key Directions Report will be prepared.
• Additional workshops will be held with county council, stakeholders and the project steering committee to discuss various policy options.
• There will be public meeting regarding the new Official Plan during this phase.

Essex County Council received an update on the Official Plan review at its Sept. 6, 2023, meeting.

Watch the video of the Sept. 6, 2023, presentation to Essex County Council:

On Nov. 4, 2023, the draft Growth Management and Policy Direction reports were presented to Essex County Council. Feedback about the reports will be collected until Dec. 8, 2023.

Phase 3 – November 2023 to October 2024

• This phase will include the preparation of the draft new Official Plan, and the presentation of the draft document to Essex County council, key stakeholders and the community.
• Workshops, open houses and meetings will be held to review and obtain feedback on the draft document.
• Comments will be sought from all local municipal councils on the plan prior to adoption.
• A draft of the Official Plan will be posted on the county’s website and notice will be given in accordance with the Planning Act requirements and public meetings will be held in advance of the new Official Plan being brought to county council for adoption purposes.

The County of Essex Official Plan and schedule maps were adopted by Essex County Council on November 6, 2024. The adopted County of Essex Official Plan and schedule maps, as well the summary of public comments received during and after the September 5, 2024, public meeting, are available here:

Decision

Take Notice that any person will be entitled to receive the Notice of Adoption of County Council if a written request to be notified is made to Rebecca Belanger, Manager of Planning Services, MCIP, RPP,  at officialplanreview@countyofessex.caby end of day on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.

Alternatively, you may mail a written request to:

County of Essex
Attention: Planning Services
360 Fairview Avenue West
Essex, ON  N8M 1Y6

And Take Notice that any person will be entitled to receive Notice of the Decision of the approval authority if a written request to be notified of the decision is made to Erick Boyd, Manager of Community Planning & Development, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing at erick.boyd@ontario.ca

Alternatively, you may mail a written request to:

Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Attention: Erick Boyd
659 Exeter Road, 2^nd Floor
London, ON, N6E 1L3. 

We thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of this initiative.