Northumberland County is inviting the public to review a draft amendment featuring updates to agriculture mapping in the county’s official plan.
Documents are now available for review online and will also be the focus of a series of three open houses that Northumberland County is hosting this fall for residents to attend for an overview of the proposed changes.
The county said the official plan amendment is important because it “aims to protect our community’s vital local agricultural system for future generations” by reviewing and updating prime agricultural areas in Northumberland, as well as mapping, policies, and frameworks related to agriculture and rural lands.
“The amendment is about striking a balance between the pressures of growth and the imperative to preserve valuable agricultural lands,” Dwayne Campbell, the county’s director of economic development, planning and strategic initiatives, told kawarthaNOW.
“The goal with the open houses is for community members to come away with an understanding of plans to ensure Northumberland’s vital system of agricultural land remains protected for future generations, including increasing the amount of protected land in the community to support the well-being of our agriculture economy,” Campbell explained.
Following the open houses, staff will present the update to county council for adoption this winter.
The agriculture amendment is part of the “Northumberland Next” initiative to update the county’s official plan. Updates include a series of amendments, guiding community growth and development in Northumberland over the next 30 years.
After extensive consultation with residents and community partners from 2022 to 2025, the project team developed this agriculture amendment, which incorporates the feedback gathered, the county noted.
The draft amendment, mapping, and open house details are available by visiting the county’s online consultation portal at joinin.northumberland.ca.
During the open houses, county staff and project consultants will deliver two 15-minute presentations at each session, one at 4:30 p.m. and one at 6:00 p.m. Presentations will be followed by a period for questions.
Each of the three open houses take place from 4 to 7 p.m., with sessions at the Port Hope Community Hub (5325 County Rd. 10, Canton) on Monday, October 20, at the Sunny Life Centre (50 Seymour Quarry Rd., Campbellford) on Tuesday, October 21, and at the Cramahe Township municipal office (1 Toronto Street, Colborne) on Monday, October 27.
“At the centre of both the county’s community strategic plan and the county official plan is the mandate to guide growth and development with intention,” Campbell said. “At these upcoming open houses, we will present the final draft of an amendment to the official plan focused on agriculture.
“This is part of the comprehensive update to the official plan that has been underway as the Northumberland Next initiative — including natural heritage conservation, planned growth and population allocation, and, now, agricultural preservation updates,” he added.
