Provincial policy directs that the County, in consultation with Area Municipalities, shall identify, coordinate and allocate population, housing and employment projections for the Area Municipalities, identify areas where growth or development will be directed, and identify targets for intensification and re-development.
To provide the information necessary to address this requirement, the County updates its population and employment forecasts and land need analysis approximately every 5 years. The last such update, Oxford County Population Household and Employment Forecasts and Employment Lands Study, was adopted by County Council on March 12 2014, following consultation with Area Municipalities, industry groups and the public. The information from this study is used to inform the Official Plan growth management policies, planning for infrastructure, development charges, as well as various other County and Area Municipal projects and initiatives.
Proposed Updates
In June 2018, the County retained Hemson Consulting Ltd. to undertake a Phase 1 Comprehensive Review Study to update the growth forecasts and land needs analysis for the County, and the eight Area Municipalities within the County, to ensure they continue to reflect current information and trends.
On April 10, 2019, a draft of the Phase 1 Comprehensive Review study was presented to County Council. More information about the study, including opportunities for public comment and feedback is available on Speak Up, Oxford!
Questions regarding the County’s growth forecasts can be directed to the Manager of Planning Policy.