Official Plan Project | Town of Essex

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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.

Colchester Secondary Plan Focus Group

The Town of Essex is seeking people interested in participating in a focus group to provide input on refinements to the Colchester Secondary Plan, which is being updated as part of the Town’s new Official Plan.

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RECENT EVENT: Public Information Centre - Thursday, May 22, 2025.

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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

The Town of Essex Official Plan will be focused on several key areas:

Growth Management

Residential Intensification and Affordable Housing

Source Water Protection

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Parks and Open Space

Icon of the Essex Train Station

Cultural, Architectural and Archaeological Heritage

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Agriculture and Specialty Crops

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Energy Conservation and Climate Change

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Natural Heritage

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Implementation and Interpretation

Jump to the Draft of the New Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan

Timeline of Public Consultation Events

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. View Notice View Presentation
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. View Presentation
September 18, 2023	A presentation on the results of the Colchester Parking Study completed as part of the development of the Colchester Secondary Plan. View Report View Video
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. View Presentation View Video View BGPG Report
June 6, 2022	A Statutory Public Meeting to discuss potential revisions to the Official Plan. View Presentation View Video

New Official Plan Work Program

The new Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan will be completed in phases:

Phase 1

Consultations with the Public, Council, and Community and Development stakeholders were held and the following items were completed:

A Background Review and Gaps Analysis (BRGA) Report to summarize engagement efforts with various stakeholders;
A review of all existing and ongoing Provincial, County, and Municipal policies or initiatives that will drive changes to the Town’s Official Plan to ensure conformity;
A scan of best practices and innovative methods being employed in preparing Official Plans across Ontario; and,
An inventory of policy gaps and opportunities for the new Official Plan.
A Heritage Feasibility Memo to assess the feasibility of a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) within the broader project umbrella of the Colchester Secondary Plan (CSP).
A Policy Directions Report to outline specific policy directions in response to those gaps and opportunities identified in the BRGA Report.
A Colchester Parking Study to determine if current on-and-off street parking areas can support residential tourism and growth in Colchester.
A draft of the Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan and Schedules for Public consultation.

Hundreds of comments were received as a result of Public Consultation and were summarized in a Phase 1 Consultation Summary.

Phase 2

The following works will be completed as part of Phase 2:

Local Comprehensive Review – to identify candidate lands to accommodate the County’s forecasted employment/industrial growth for the Town, analyze residential intensification potential in the Town, and to identify settlement area boundary adjustments.
Continued work on the Colchester Secondary Plan – to conduct additional public and stakeholder consultation, to prepare policy updates, and to revise the draft Secondary Plan.
Final Drafts of the New Official Plan and Colchester Secondary Plan and Schedules

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.

Submit Feedback

Resources

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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Questions about the Official Plan or the planning process?

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