Growth Management (In Progress)
Northumberland County is currently reviewing and updating maps and policies related to long-term growth and land needs in Northumberland County’s Official Plan. Share your feedback as we prepare for future growth in our community.
What is Growth Management?
Current Provincial forecasts indicate that by the year 2051, Northumberland's population will grow to approximately 122,000 people and the workforce will grow to approximately 44,000 jobs.
To ensure our community is prepared for this future growth, we are reviewing maps and policies related to long-term growth and land needs in Northumberland County’s Official Plan. This amendment process will help us assess how new development will be planned, phased, and accommodated to the year 2051.
This process is required to bring the County’s Official Plan into conformity with the Growth Plan, 2019 (as amended), as well as to reflect current provincial policy direction and the County’s strategic initiatives.
The Growth Management Amendment will result in updates to the Northumberland County Official Plan policies, including:
- Long-term population, housing and employment forecasts to 2051
- Allocations of population, housing and employment by Urban and Rural Area, as well as by planning policy area
- An analysis of urban Community Area land needs (to accommodate residential and population-related employment)
- An analysis of urban Employment Area land needs (to accommodate industrial type employment)
- A review and analysis of Employment Area conversion requests
Public consultation process
In December 2021, Northumberland County launched the public consultation process for the Growth Management Amendment with a virtual presentation of our Growth Management Report and an online public review and comment period, which is currently ongoing.
In spring 2022, we hosted a virtual open house and public meeting to provide additional information and opportunities for public feedback.
With the consolidated feedback from the first two rounds of consultation, the project team prepared updated mapping and reports, which were presented for feedback at two open houses and a public meeting, scheduled between May to July 2024. These updated maps included proposed expansions to the Port Hope Urban Area to accommodate new employment and residential uses and proposed expansions to the Grafton and Codrington Rural Settlement Areas for residential development.
The project team is currently reviewing the feedback received, and developing a final report to present to County Council for adoption.
Project timelines
Completed
December 2021 - Virtual public meeting
- Introduced the growth management amendment during a presentation of a Growth Management Report to the Northumberland County Economic Development, Tourism and Land Use Planning Committee meeting that took place on December 1, 2021. To watch this recording, please submit a request for the December 1st meeting link to our Request Form.
- Launched online review process of our Growth Management Report and Needs Analysis.
April/May 2022
- Virtual open house and public meeting regarding updates to growth management mapping and policies in the County Official Plan.
May-July 2024
- Two open houses and one public meeting regarding proposed expansions to the Port Hope Urban Area and the Grafton and Codrington Rural Settlement Areas.
Next steps
- Complete final report.
- Present recommendations for Growth Management mapping and policies to County Council for adoption.
- Submit the amendment to the Province for approval and implementation.
News updates
2024
2022
2021
Supporting documents
- Growth Management Report Executive Summary
- Growth Management Draft Official Plan Amendment (Revised April 24, 2024)
- Growth Management Strategy / Land Needs Analysis Council Report - December 1, 2021
- To view the proposed Growth Management Amendment mapping (Schedules X1 - X30), visit the Documents tab on the project page
- For a copy of the full draft Growth Management report or for supporting reports related to the proposed expansions to the Codrington Rural Settlement Area and Port Hope Urban Area, please submit a request through our Northumberland Next Report Request Form.
