Planning & Development

Land use planning helps municipalities manage land and resources and guides decisions about where:

to build homes and factories
to put parks and schools
roads, sewers and other essential services are needed

Land use planning helps each community to set development goals while keeping social, economic and environmental factors in mind. It also balances the interests of individual property owners with the wider interests of the whole community.

The Planning and Development Services Department oversees all land use planning applications and administers the Municipality's land use planning documents such as the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. In development proposals, the Municipality must also have regard for the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) 2024 representing provincial interests, as well as, the County of Elgin Official Plan.

Before submitting a planning application, the applicant should consult Planning Services to engage in an informal discussion to explain the proposed application being contemplated.

Municipal Land use planning applications:

Official Plan Amendment

Zoning By-law Amendment

Minor Variance

Site Plan Approval

Looking for information on building permits? Visit our Building Services webpage.

Additional Information:

For more Land Use Planning information, refer to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for Planning Guides.

Consent/Elgin County Land Division

Land division in Ontario generally occurs by plan of subdivision. If several severances are intended in the same area, this process may be more appropriate. It is a process that involves the laying out of roads, division of land into lots or blocks, the dedication of lands for other public purposes, and entering into subdivision agreements. This process involves wide consultation with the public and government agencies.

Where land division is minor, involving only one or two lots and, for example, where a plan of subdivision is clearly unnecessary for orderly development, the Planning Act provides a simpler process, called the granting of consent. The approval authority for a Consent Application is the Elgin County Land Division Committee.

Prior to submitting a consent application to the County of Elgin, the municipality encourages an interested person to visit the Elgin County Land Division website and be advised that applicants are required to consult with the County Planning Services to engage in an informal discussion to explain the proposed application being contemplated.

Consent (Severance) application forms are available at the Municipal Office and on the Elgin County Land Division website

Contact Information:

Elgin County Land Division Committee

Paul Clarke, Planning Technician / Secretary-Treasurer of the Land Division Committee

landdivision@elgin.ca

450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
T: 519-631-1460 Ext 170

Developable Lands Inventory

Residential Lands

The Municipality completed a review of parcel-specific developable lands within the Municipality in order to help address supply and demand for housing. Throughout the region there is generally a low amount of supply and high demand, as well as affordability issues. There is a lack of suitably available lots in the Municipality for the construction of new dwellings and this review of developable lands within settlement area boundaries aims to help stakeholders better identify lands with viable development potential.

Supporting documentation includes:

***Map Package - detailing potential lots and total vacant land for each applicable settlement area

***Spreadsheet Database - information includes current zoning, lot size, potential lots (minimum and maximum) and potential planning and development requirements. A corresponding number was added on the maps for each lot by settlement area to assist in review.

Commercial & Industrial Lands

The Municipality has completed a review of parcel-specific developable lands within the Municipality in order to help address supply and demand for commercial and industrial properties.

Supporting documentation includes:

***Map Package - detailing potential lots and developable lands

***Spreadsheet Database - information includes current zoning, lot size, and potential planning and development requirements. A corresponding number was added on the maps for each lot.

Plan of Subdivision/Condominium

Plans of Subdivision/Condominium
Elgin County is the Approval Authority for Plans of Subdivision and Condominium Descriptions. More information about how to apply for a Plan of Subdivision or a Plan of Condominium is available at the Elgin County website - Planning

A registered plan of subdivision creates new, separate parcels of land and can be legally used for the sale of lots. It should not be confused with “compiled plans” or “reference plans” which are used simply to describe parcels of land.

A registered plan of subdivision is a legal document that shows:
the exact surveyed boundaries and dimensions of lots on which houses or buildings are to be built; the location, width and names of streets; the sites of any schools or parks.

Public Notices

Notices are published on the News Module page.

You may search the Planning Notices Category.

Renewable Energy Approval

The Green Energy Act 2009 (GEA) and the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) are transforming the energy landscape and strengthening the province's commitment to conservation. The result of this legislation is evident across Elgin County with many private renewable energy projects underway.

The legislation attempts to streamline the approval process by removing some barriers and establishing the Renewable Energy Facilitation Office (REFO), for a one-window access to help developers, communities and homeowners obtain information on creating renewable energy projects in Ontario.

More to come.

Site Plan Approval/Agreement

Site Plan Approval is a planning review process that examines design and technical aspects of a proposed development. Site plan drawings provide detailed information about development plans for a specific property. For example, professionally prepared site plan drawings describe the location of parking/loading spaces, property access, building details, including elevations and drainage, servicing and landscaping details. Site Plan Approval concludes in a site plan agreement registered on title to the property.

Use the link Site Plan Approval Application to access the application for site plan approval or contact the municipal office.