Attention Planners and Economic Developers:
OMAFRA has released draft PPS Guidelines on permitted uses in Ontario’s prime agricultural areas, which have been posted for a 90-day commenting period. OMAFRA is interested in discussing the content of the draft Guidelines and receiving your input. As these Guidelines closely affect farmers, rural municipal planners, and municipal staff, the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance are jointly hosting a feedback session.
Join us on March 20th from 9:30 to 12:30, with lunch to follow, at Country Heritage Park, Niagara Room, in Milton to learn more about the Guidelines and provide feedback. Helma Geerts, Policy Advisor at OMAFRA, will present the draft Guidelines. Follow-up discussion will be facilitated in small groups, and we will consider the Guidelines in relation to some specific experiences in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Please read the Guidelines before the session to help ensure a constructive and informed discussion. You can access the Guidelines on the OMAFRA website. Some copies will also be available at the event.
Please RSVP to Jessica Schmidt at jschmidt@greenbelt.ca by March 13th.
Background on OMAFRA’s Guidelines on Permitted Uses
- The PPS specifically references provincial guidelines on permitted uses and allows a broad range of economic opportunities in prime agricultural areas, subject to meeting specific criteria. PPS policies are based on two main objectives:
– maintaining the land base for agriculture, and
– supporting a thriving agricultural industry and rural economy - The Guidelines will be used by municipalities when they update their Official Plan policies and zoning by-laws. They will guide planners and decision-makers in their consideration of land use applications in prime agricultural areas. They will also inform landowners on the diversity of uses the PPS permits.
- Municipalities, farm organizations and others have been asking for the Guidelines. In the absence of guidelines, interpretation of PPS policies on the uses permitted in prime agricultural areas has varied widely across the province.
- Permitting a wide range of compatible uses in prime agricultural areas will boost the rural economy (generating farm income and rural jobs while expanding the tax base), make rural services more available, and increase awareness and appreciation of local agriculture.