Northumberland Next: Official Plan Update

Northumberland County is currently reviewing and updating maps and policies related to agricultural land in Northumberland County’s Official Plan. Share your feedback as we protect and preserve Northumberland's thriving agricultural landscape.

After extensive consultation with the community and our partners from 2022 until 2025, the project team has developed an Agriculture Amendment to the County's Official Plan that is now available for online review.

The purpose of the amendment is to:

• update the mapping of prime agricultural areas in Northumberland County that takes into account the mapping of the Agricultural System provided by the Province;
• update the policy framework on agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses to provide greater clarity and direction to the local municipalities on these uses;
• update a number of policies and definitions dealing with prime agricultural areas and rural lands to ensure consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement; and
• make a number of minor structural changes to Section A of the Official Plan.

Attend an open house this fall

Public open houses will be held in October 2025 (dates and locations coming soon!). Please review the documents below and bring your questions and feedback to one of our upcoming open houses this fall.

Review project documents

For information about the proposed agriculture mapping updates, please visit our in-person open houses coming this October, or view the PDF maps available in the Documents tab or linked below.

Draft amendment

• Draft Agricultural and Rural Official Plan Amendment (September 10, 2025)
• Memo: Prime Agricultural Mapping Analysis Report (September 10, 2025)
• Memo: Requests to Remove Land from Agricultural Area Designation (September 10, 2025)

Agriculture mapping

• Schedule A-2 - Land Use Designations Map
• Schedule A-3 - Agricultural Area and Rural Area Designations Map

What is agricultural mapping?

Northumberland County is known for having a thriving agricultural community and high-quality farmland, with over 31% of land in the County currently designated as protected agricultural land.

As part of the Northumberland Next initiative, Northumberland County is reviewing and updating mapping and policies in the County's Official Plan to ensure this vital system of agricultural land remains protected for future generations.

This amendment will result in updates to the Northumberland County Official Plan, including mapping and policy updates that will increase the amount of protected agricultural land in Northumberland, and will support the collective well-being of the agriculture economy by:

• Identifying the best areas for agricultural production within Northumberland County
• Preserving our local agricultural land base for food production to meet the province's long-term needs by aligning our local mapping with provincial policies
• Introducing/updating land use policies to ensure agricultural uses can continue, now and into the future

What is the Agricultural System?

The agricultural system is a defined term in the Provincial Policy Statement (2024) which provides policy direction to municipalities across the province. The province has developed a methodology for identifying and classifying lands as part of an agricultural system to ensure consistency, clarity, and standardization across the province.

The Agricultural System is comprised of a group of inter-connected elements that collectively create a viable, thriving agricultural sector. It has two components:

• An agricultural land base comprised of prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, and rural lands that together create a continuous productive land base for agriculture; and
• An agri-food network which includes infrastructure, services, and assets important to the viability of the agri-food sector.

Planning authorities are encouraged to use an agricultural system approach to maintain and enhance the geographic continuity of the agricultural land base and the functional and economic connections to the agri-food network.

How does the County review mapping updates?

One of the components of the County's Municipal Comprehensive Review is a review of the location of the prime agricultural area in the County. Prime agricultural areas are areas where Class 1, 2 and 3 prime agricultural lands predominate and includes associated Class 4 through 7 lands, and additional areas where there is a local concentration of farms that exhibit characteristics of ongoing agriculture.

The County's Official Plan identifies current prime agricultural areas, using areas defined in our local municipal Official Plans. Project consultants have developed mapping that compares the provincial and County's Official Plan mapping of prime agricultural areas and have determined that a considerable amount of additional land throughout the County has been identified as being within a prime agricultural area by the province.

Soil review

DBH Soil Services Inc. completed a review of the provincial agricultural land mapping. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping was received from the province and County, which included soils data, municipal boundaries, road networks, Official Plan land designations, etc. DBH Soil Services Inc. determined that some lands require additional review and assessment to determine appropriate soil classifications.

Project timelines

Completed

June/July 2022

• Open houses in Campbellford, Colborne and Port Hope regarding updates to agriculture mapping and policies in the County Official Plan.
• Launched online review process of proposed mapping and policy updates.

Current stage

Fall 2025

• Launched online review of amendment and proposed mapping in September 2025.
• Open houses planned for October 2025 (dates and locations coming soon!) regarding updates to agriculture mapping and policies in the County Official Plan.

Next steps

• Present final recommendations for agriculture mapping and policies to County Council for adoption.
• Submit the amendment to the Province for approval and implementation.

News updates

2022

• Upcoming open houses to review agriculture mapping updates to the County Official Plan - June 6, 2022

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 additional 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.

With the feedback gathered during the most recent consultations in 2024, the project team has developed final recommendations for the Growth Management Amendment. This amendment will be presented for consideration by County Council in two phases:

Phase 1: The first amendment, which will be presented to Committee for consideration in March, will include recommendations for:

• Population, employment and housing forecasts
• Major Employment Areas

Phase 2: A second amendment, including final recommendations for Settlement Area expansions, will be presented for consideration later this year.

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.

Current stage

March 2025 - Presentation of final recommendations for Phase 1

• Final recommendations for Phase 1 of the Growth Management Amendment will be presented to the Economic Development, Tourism and Land Use Planning Committee for their consideration on March 5, 2025.
• If recommended for adoption by Committee, the final recommendations will be considered by County Council on March 19, 2025.

Next steps

• Complete final recommendations for Phase 2.
• Present final recommendations for Phase 2 for Commitee and Council adoption.
• Submit the adopted amendments to the Province for approval and implementation.

News updates

2024

• Review and provide feedback on updated mapping for the Growth Management amendment to County Official Plan - May 1, 2024

2022

• Upcoming virtual consultations regarding Growth Management amendment to County Official Plan - April 7, 2022

2021

• Official Plan update moves forward with Natural Heritage System and Growth Management amendments - November 26, 2021

Supporting documents

• Council Report - Adoption of County Official Plan Amendment No. 2 - Growth Forecast and Major Employment Area (March 5, 2025)
• Memo - County Growth Management Amendment Phase 1 (Jan 21, 2025)
• Amendment No. 2 to the Official Plan - Growth Management Phase 1 (Jan 16, 2025)
• Growth Management Report Executive Summary
• 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.

As the first amendment planned for the Northumberland Next Official Plan update, Northumberland County developed a Natural Heritage System Plan to manage community growth in a way that preserves and enhances our natural environment for future generations.

The NHS report was originally finalized based on multiple rounds of public consultations that took place between 2018-2020, and was endorsed by County Council in July 2020. However, the Province of Ontario announced a new ‘Provincial Planning Statement, 2024’ in October 2024, which required us to update our Natural Heritage System to reflect changes to land use planning legislation.

What is a Natural Heritage System?

The Natural Heritage System includes areas such as wetlands, woodlands and watercourses that have been identified as significant natural features that we must protect and enhance.

The Natural Heritage System Plan will result in updates to the Northumberland County Official Plan policies, including:

• Establishing a new Natural Heritage Area designation that will apply to properties with natural heritage features
• Identification of natural heritage features and areas, as well as supporting features and areas that would be subject to development prohibitions and/or restrictions
• Introduction of new policies affecting development and site alteration in and adjacent to the Natural Heritage System
• Updates to the requirements for environmental studies

Public consultation process

In November 2018, Northumberland County conducted the first round of public consultation sessions to gather input on natural features to be included in Northumberland County's Natural Heritage System Plan. This input was used to develop three Natural Heritage System options, which were presented to the public for feedback during our second round of public consultation sessions in November and December 2019. In response to feedback received during these public consultation sessions, the County developed an online interactive map to demonstrate how each of the three options for a Natural Heritage System would be implemented in our community. Public feedback was gathered on the proposed mapping until February 21, 2020. This feedback was incorporated into final recommendations, presented to County Council for adoption.

County Council adopted the Natural Heritage System amendment on July 22, 2020. However, in October 2014, the new ‘Provincial Planning Statement, 2024’ came into effect, requiring updates to the amendment to align with new direction from the Province for land use planning. These updates included:

• Removal of the Growth Plan: The Province has repealed the Greater Golden Horseshoe "GGH" Growth Plan, which was originally incorporated into our NHS. Updates will need to be made to the amendment to remove the repealed designations and policies.
• Redesignation of areas while maintaining total spatial area: Some areas that were originally incorporated as ‘GGH Growth Plan Areas’ in the NHS will need to be re-designated; however, these areas are proposed to remain part of the Northumberland NHS. Our proposed updates recommend the spatial area remains the same as originally adopted by County Council in 2021.
• Changes to land use requirements in redesignated areas: Changes to area designations may affect requirements related to the location where development and site alteration can be permitted in these areas, and under what conditions. For example, a development that was previously prohibited in significant woodlands may now be considered, if it demonstrates no negative impact to the woodlot.

The proposed changes were presented and discussed at a public meeting on December 4, 2024. Community members were invited to review the documents outlining the proposed changes, attend the meeting to share their feedback, or submit feedback and questions by email.

After reviewing the feedback received during these consultations, the project team prepared final recommendations for the Natural Heritage System amendment. These recommendations were presented to the Economic Development, Tourism and Land Use Planning Committee for consideration on January 8, 2025. A summary of the final recommendations is available in the Committee meeting agenda and in the 'Documents' tab on the Northumberland Next project page. Following this presentation, County Council endorsed the recommended modifications in the report and supplemental memo and directed staff to submit the changes to the Province for approval.

Project timelines

Completed

November 2018 - first round of public consultations

• Northumberland County Headquarters, Cobourg - November 26, 2018
• Cramahe Township Municipal Office, Colborne - November 28, 2018
• Clock Tower Cultural Centre, Campbellford - November 29, 2018

November/December 2019 - second round of public consultations

• Cramahe Township Municipal Office, Colborne - November 21, 2019
• Northumberland County Headquarters, Cobourg - December 2, 2019
• Clock Tower Cultural Centre, Campbellford - December 3, 2019

January/February 2020

• Interactive map and online form for gathering public input

July 2020

• Completed final report

Spring/Summer 2020

• Present the preferred Natural Heritage System option to Northumberland County Council on July 22, 2020

March 2021

• Initiate update and arrange for a public meeting to incorporate the preferred Natural Heritage System mapping and policies into the County Official Plan update

December 2021

• County Council adopted the Natural Heritage System amendment and the amendment was sent to the Province for approval

October 2024

• The Province of Ontario released new planning direction under the ‘Provincial Planning Statement, 2024’, requiring changes to the Natural Heritage System.

December 2024

• Update the Natural Heritage System mapping and policies to align with ‘Provincial Planning Statement, 2024’.
• Present proposed updates to the Economic Development, Tourism, & Land Use Planning Committee and collect feedback from the community.

January 2025

• Present the updated amendment for Council adoption.

Current stage

January 2025

• Send the final amendment to the Province for consideration.

News updates

2024

• Public meeting to review Natural Heritage System updates - November 14, 2024

2021

• Notice of Adoption: Amendment No. 1 to the Northumberland County Official Plan - December 20, 2021
• Council adopts Natural Heritage System amendment to County Official Plan - December 15, 2021
• Official Plan update moves forward with Natural Heritage System and Growth Management amendments - November 26, 2021
• Upcoming virtual consultations regarding Natural Heritage System amendments to County Official Plan - March 4, 2021

2020

• County to launch Official Plan review and update at upcoming virtual public meeting - September 17, 2020
• Council to consider preferred option for Natural Heritage System Plan at July 22 meeting - July 17, 2020
• County introduces interactive map to demonstrate three options for a Natural Heritage System - January 28, 2020

2019

• Second round of public information sessions planned about Natural Heritage System - November 5, 2019

2018

• Public Information Sessions planned about local Natural Heritage System - November 14, 2018

Supporting documents

• Supplemental Memo: Final Recommendations for changes to Natural Heritage System Amendment (January 2025)
• Final Recommendations for changes to Natural Heritage System Amendment (December 2024)
  
• Summary of Changes to the Natural Heritage System
• Revised Natural Heritage System Amendment (November 2024)
• Revised Natural Heritage System Amendment - Highlighting changes from 2021 version (November 2024)
• Schedule A-1: Settlement Structure and Natural Heritage System
• Schedule A-2: Land Use Designations
• Schedule B-1: Natural Heritage Features and Areas
• Schedule B-2: Resource Areas, Constraint Areas and Waste Management
• To receive a digital copy of the final report, background report, or draft rationale/criteria/options report, please submit a request using our Northumberland Next Request Form.