New Official Plan

DRAFT Schedule A - County Base Map

• Perth County Base Map

DRAFT Schedule B - Land Use Designation

• North Perth Land Use Designations

• Atwood Land Use Designations

• Gowanstown Land Use Designations

• Listowel Land Use Designations

• Monkton Land Use Designations

• Trowbridge Land Use Designations

• Perth East Land Use Designations

• Milverton Land Use Designations

• Shakespeare Land Use Designations

• Newton Land Use Designations

• Brunner Land Use Designations

• Rostock Land Use Designations

• Nithburg Land Use Designations

• Wartburg Land Use Designations

• Gads Hill Land Use Designations

• Millbank Land Use Designations

• Perth South Land Use Designations

• Sebringville Land Use Designations

• Kirkton Land Use Designations

• West Perth Land Use Designations

• Mitchell Land Use Designations

• Dublin Land Use Designations

• Staffa Land Use Designations

DRAFT Schedule C - Transportation Network

• Transportation Network

DRAFT Appendices

• Appendix 1 Aggregate Resource and Petroleum Wells

• Appendix 2 Earth Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSIs)

• Appendix 3 Conservation Authority Regulated Lands and Watershed Boundaries

• Appendix 4 Source Water Protection Regions

• Appendix 5 Wildland Fire Hazard Level

• Appendix NP 1 North Perth Source Protection Vulnerable Areas

• Appendix PE 1 Perth East Source Protection Vulnerable Areas

• Appendix PS 1 Perth South Source Protection Vulnerable Areas

• Appendix WP 1 West Perth Source Protection Vulnerable Areas

Phase 3 - Complete

The draft text for the new Official Plan was prepared by WSP Consulting, and then reviewed and revised by staff at the Perth County Planning Department. The Official Plan Steering Committee, comprised of the municipal Mayors and Chief Administrative Officers, as well as the County Warden and Chief Administrative Officer reviewed and discussed the draft text from March 2023 to August 2023.

Agency staff including Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, the Conservation Authorities, Source Water Protection and Stratford Social Services were consulted through the preparation of the draft policies. 

Complete Mapping

The mapping is a critical component of the New OP – it identifies designations for every property in the County. Efforts on behalf of Planning and GIS Staff prior and during this Phase include:

• Properties have been reviewed to ensure designations are correct and appropriate;
• Mapped Agriculture (the largest designation in the county) to ensure properties are designated properly in order to support stewardship efforts;
• Developed appendices to show additional information (such as Conservation Authorities Regulated Lands and aggregate deposits). GIS Staff have contacted the various data providers to ensure all data used is up-to-date
• Previous Official Plan Amendments have been reviewed and included
• Edits to the Natural Environment designations have been made as a result of the Natural Environment consultation
• Settlement areas have been increased as informed by the 2023 Comprehensive Review. 

Phase 4 - Complete

Under Section 17 of the Planning Act, R.S.O 1990, c.P.13, the public must be given the opportunity to review the draft Official Plan and all supporting information and materials, which include the Perth County Comprehensive Review, the New Official Plan Policy Directions Report, the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study (October 2018), and the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study Update (June 2019).

Under the Planning Act, Section 17 subsection (18) an open house shall be held no later than seven days before the public meeting. The public meeting will take place in Fall 2024.

The draft Official Plan and supporting reports are also available for public viewing throughout the County at the following locations: 

• West Perth Municipal Office, 160 Wellington Street Mitchell
• Mitchell Public Library, 105 St. Andrew Street, Mitchell
• Perth East Township Office, 25 Mill Street, Milverton
• Perth East Public Library, 19 Mill Street East, Milverton
• North Perth Municipal Office, 330 Wallace Ave North, Listowel
• North Perth Building Department, 620 Wallace Avenue South, Listowel
• Listowel Public Library, 260 Main Street W, Listowel
• Atwood Public Library 218A Main Street, Atwood
• Monkton Public Library, 200 Nelson St. Monkton
• Perth South Township Office, 3191 Road 122, St. Pauls
• Stratford Public Library, 19 St. Andrew Street, Stratford
• Perth County Planning Department, 1 Ontario Street 2^nd Floor (Scotia Bank Building)
• St. Marys Public Library, 15 Church Street North, St. Marys

The opportunity for public engagement on the draft Official Plan through Open Houses which are happening from 4:30 to 8:30 pm with a presentation at 5:30 pm: 

• Wednesday February 7 2024*, West Perth Council Chambers, 160 Wellington Street, Mitchell
• Thursday February 8 2024, Steve Kerr Memorial Complex Community Room, 965 Binning Street West, Listowel
• Monday February 12 2024, Downie Optimist Hall, 3185 County Road 122, St. Pauls
• Thursday February 15 2024, Perth East Recreation Complex, 40 Temperance St., Milverton

*There will be a virtual meeting option on Wednesday February 7 at 5:30 pm. Please register to attend virtually by e-mailing: newofficialplan@perthcounty.ca.

Please note all libraries listed above (with the exception of Atwood) are open the evening of Wednesday February 7 should you need access to a computer to attend. 

Local Council presentations on the new Official Plan happened in January and February 2024. Videos of the presentation can be found for each of the local municipalities: West Perth, North Perth, Perth East, and Perth South.

Should you require alternate accommodations, please reach out to newofficialplan@perthcounty.ca for further assistance.

If you have questions or comments please contact us at newofficialplan@perthcounty.ca with a detailed description including your name, property address, and nature of your concern. Planning staff will follow up to further clarify and assist you in this process.

Phase 5 - Complete

What is an Official Plan?

Why a New Official Plan?

Our current Official Plan was created in the late 1990's. Since then policy direction from the Province has changed; most recently in the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2020.  The County is in need of a new visionary and policy document that is both reflective of these updates and reflective of current community concerns, priorities and values. As well the New Official Plan will act as a guidance document for municipalities across the County to facilitate movement towards more advanced land use and social policies.

The New Official Plan will amalgamate the current County Official Plan with those of member municipalities into a singular plan. This will ensure consistent policy implementation across the County and an easier to navigate planning framework.

What is Addressed?

• Growth management (population and employment forecasts)
• Housing types and affordability
• Appropriate areas for commercial and industrial businesses
• Infrastructure, such as roads, water and wastewater
• Protection of the natural environment
• Protection of agricultural land
• Cultural Heritage conservation

Perth County Comprehensive Review

The Perth County Comprehensive Review provides population, employment, housing projections for a 30 year planning horizon.

Perth County engaged Watson and Associates Economists Ltd to prepare a Comprehensive Review to determine land need requirements for the new Official Plan. With these projections, the Comprehensive Review determines the land supply required for residential, commercial and industrial growth for a 25 year planning horizon, as required by the 2020 Provincial Policy Statement.

The first Perth County Comprehensive Review was finalized in April 2020. The 2020 Perth County Official Plan Update- Comprehensive Review is available by request from the Planning Department.

In June 2021, County Council initiated an update of the Comprehensive Review to capture changes in economic trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic including increases in building permit activity. The 2023 Official Plan Update – Comprehensive Review was adopted by Perth County Council on November 2 2023.

• View the 2023 Official Plan Update- Comprehensive Review County of Perth

The 2023 Comprehensive Review was informed by the ‘Perth County Growth Forecast Update Memorandum (October 20, 2022)’ and the ‘Perth County Growth Allocation and Lands Needs Memorandum (April 6, 2023)’. 

New Official Plan Policy Directions Report

A background report on provincial policy considerations and updates since the last Official Plan review.  It also includes community feedback that was collected from public engagement sessions in 2019. The report informs the policy updates and changes for the New Official Plan. The Policy Directions report was completed by WSP and finalized in April 2020.

This document provides:

• an overview of the provincial policy that sets the framework for the New Official Plan's land use, housing, and population growth policies
• a summary of initial public engagement findings
• policy considerations and recommendations for the New Official Plan.  

View the Perth County New Official Plan Policy Directions Report

Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study - Report

View the Perth Natural Heritage Systems Study Update (June 2019)

View the UTRCA Presentation to Council (August 1, 2019) 

Past Project Updates

September 27, 2024 Update – Final Draft of the New County Official Plan Released for October 2024 Public Meeting

The final version of the New County Official Plan is now available on the County’s website below. The County will hold a Statutory Public Meeting during the County Council Meeting on October 17, 2024 to present the New County Official Plan to the community and provide an opportunity for public comment. At the same Council meeting, the final version of the New County Official Plan document will be presented to County Council for endorsement and adoption. Following County Council’s adoption, the New County Official Plan will be forwarded onto the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing as the final approval authority for the Official Plan.

The public meeting allows members of the community the opportunity to make written and/or verbal comments either in support or in opposition of the proposed Official Plan. Comments can be submitted in advance of the meeting by email at newofficialplan@perthcounty.ca, by phone at 519-271-0531 ext. 419, or by mail to 1 Huron Street, Stratford, ON, N5A 5S4. If you are interested in speaking at the meeting, advance registration is preferred. Please click here to register.

To read the Notice of Public Meeting for the New County Official Plan, which includes further information on how to participate, the approval process, and how to obtain a notice of decision, please click here.

• Perth County Council begins new Official Plan Public Consultation (December 21 2023)
• Comprehensive Review (2023) adopted by County Council (November 2 2023)
• Perth County Growth Allocation and Land Needs Memorandum (April 6, 2023)
• New Official Plan Update to Council (February 16, 2023) 
  • New Official Plan Update Presentation (February 16, 2023)
  • New Official Plan Update Report (February 16, 2023)
  • February 16, 2023 Council YouTube Video
• New Official Plan Update to Council (October 20, 2022)
  • New Official Plan Update Report (October 20, 2022)
  • October 20, 2022 Council YouTube Video
• Perth County Growth Forecast Update Memorandum (October 20, 2022)
• New Official Plan Update to Council (June 17, 2021)
  • New Official Plan Update Report (June 17, 2021)
  • June 17, 2021 Council YouTube Video
• New Official Plan Policy Directions Presentation (August 1, 2019) 
• Presentation from Public Open Houses (Stage 1) - April & May 2019 
• Presentation from Special Meeting of Council (Section 26) - September 12, 2018