Official Plan Project
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Shaping the Future of Essex
The Town of Essex is currently preparing a new Official Plan! Essex is growing and changing, and the new Official Plan will guide the Town’s growth and land use planning for the next 25 years. Essex contains highly valuable farmland and a strong agricultural economy, as well as four key urban areas (Essex, Harrow, McGregor, and Colchester), which are all experiencing development pressures. The orderly development of these communities is key to the successful growth of the Town over the next 25 years.
UPCOMING EVENT: Public Information Centre - Thursday, May 22, 2025.
| What is an Official Plan? | |||||||||
| An Official Plan provides the blueprint for the future growth and development of a municipality. It establishes goals and objectives for land use in the Town, and policies to achieve those goals, taking into consideration important social, economic and environmental factors. | |||||||||
| What is a Secondary Plan? | |||||||||
| A Secondary Plan sets out a cohesive vision and set of planning directions for the future growth and development of a specific area or areas within the Municipality. For a variety of reasons, more detailed guidelines and strategies may be appropriate for specific areas. For example, Colchester is the only settlement area with public access to the Lake Erie shoreline –this, along with Colchester’s location in the heart of the Town’s recreational and agri-tourism area, necessitates a special approach to planning for its future. | |||||||||
| Why is the Town of Essex developing a new Official Plan and Secondary Plan? | |||||||||
| The current Official Plan came into effect in 2009 and was last updated in 2017. The Planning Act requires Official Plans to be updated every five years. The Official Plan must also be consistent with Provincial policies, and conform to the County of Essex’s Official Plan. It is now time to update the Official Plan to meet the current (and future) needs of Essex residents. Developing a new Official Plan is a chance for the Essex community to provide input into creating new and innovative policies that will affect how Essex will develop into the future. | |||||||||
| Areas of Focus | |||||||||
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The Town of Essex Official Plan will be focused on several key areas:
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Jump to the Draft of the New Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 22, 2025 |
A Public Information Centre (PIC) to present a summary of comments received on the first draft of the New Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan and discuss next steps. |
| August 28 and September 4 and 11, 2024 |
Information on the Draft Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan presented at three (3) initial public Open Houses in Colchester, Essex Centre, and Harrow. |
| September 18, 2023 |
A presentation on the results of the Colchester Parking Study completed as part of the development of the Colchester Secondary Plan. |
| February 6, 2023 |
A Special Meeting of Council to present an update on the new Official Plan (project overview, policy context, gaps and opportunities, and next steps) and a Background Review and Policy Gaps Report. |
| June 6, 2022 |
A Statutory Public Meeting to discuss potential revisions to the Official Plan. |
New Official Plan Work Program
The new Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan will be completed in phases:
| Phase 1 |
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Consultations with the Public, Council, and Community and Development stakeholders were held and the following items were completed:
Hundreds of comments were received as a result of Public Consultation and were summarized in a Phase 1 Consultation Summary. |
| Phase 2 |
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The following works will be completed as part of Phase 2:
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Review the draft of the New Official Plan
Residents, business owners, and landowners are encouraged to review the draft of the new Official Plan and Colchester Hamlet Secondary Plan and Schedule Package.
View the Draft Official Plan View the Draft Colchester Secondary Plan View the Schedule Package
Share your Feedback
Residents are encouraged to review and provide input on the Official Plan Project by completing the online feedback form. Feedback will continue to be collected throughout the Project phases.
Resources
- Provincial Planning Statement, 2024
- County of Essex Official Plan, 2014 (in effect)
- County of Essex Official Plan, 2024 (provisionally adopted)
- County of Essex Official Plan 2024 Schedules (provisionally adopted)
- County of Essex Growth Analysis Report
- Town of Essex Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan (2009)
Get Involved!
We want to hear from you! The feedback you provide will help us identify your needs and priorities as the Town continues to engage with the community in a way that is open, transparent, accessible and inclusive.
There are many ways for you to get involved in the Official Plan review and share your feedback that will help inform the new Official Plan. Opportunities to provide your input at Open Houses and Public meetings will be posted on this website under 'Key Dates and Timelines' as they arise.
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