Northern Bruce Peninsula Council Meeting (Image from Northern Bruce Peninsula council meeting)
Northern Bruce Peninsula is voicing its concerns with Bruce County’s draft official plan.
Council approved voicing issues with the plan during its meeting on Oct. 28 in regards to proposed changes to lands designated as prime agricultural in the municipality and the ability to develop within mapped natural heritage areas.
This comes as Bruce is currently updating its official plan which acts as a roadmap for how the county will manage growth and development until 2046, which is currently projected to see the population increase to 93,600 and an employment target of 43,000 jobs.
The county has reached out to various municipalities to receive feedback on how to facilitate growth.
CAO Peggy Van Mierlo-West says in a report the county explored potential challenges and best practices for land use policies, particularly when it came to agriculture and agri-food sectors.
Northern Bruce Peninsula did express concerns surrounding the proposed changes to the lands, as overall, Mierlo-West says there is a reduction of prime agricultural lands in the municipality.
“Rural properties are versatile spaces that can be used for various activities, including recreation, wildlife conservation, hobby farming, and eco-tourism,” says Mierlo-West’s report. “These properties also provide opportunities for homestead development.”
Council is recommending the county review the agriculture designation mapping.
Additionally, when it came to mapping natural heritage as a way to protect natural linkages during the development process to ensure they remain intact, council is expressing concern about being able to develop in these areas.
“It should be noted that even though the natural heritage system is being mapped this does not remove the potential for development within current areas which are zoned appropriately,” says the report from Mierlo-West.
Council is requesting the county planning and development department review the natural environment system, specially in regards to wood and wetlands to ensure little impact to development.