County Council meetings are broadcast live at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream. To download the full agenda or view past recordings of council meetings, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/council.

Additional residential units in rural areas

Oxford County’s final report on additional residential units (ARUs) in rural areas is before Council on October 26. If approved, amendments to the County’s Official Plan will allow Oxford’s five rural townships (Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, South-West Oxford and Zorra) to proceed with amendments to their zoning by-laws to allow ARUs under certain conditions.

A public meeting on the rural ARU policies was held at the September 14 Council meeting to provide feedback on a preliminary staff report on the proposed changes to the Official Plan policies, which included a summary of township and public input.  

PW 2022-371 - Supplemental Report Proposed Official Plan Amendment (OP 22-16-9) Additional Residential Units in Rural Areas |

Increasing residential density

On October 26, planning staff will report back to County Council on their request to provide further information and options for increasing residential density and reducing the need for future settlement expansions. Increasing density can be an effective way of increasing housing supply in a community, while also making efficient use of existing urban land and infrastructure such as roads and water and wastewater services.

The report outlines a number of potential policy approaches that can be considered to further promote increased density in Oxford’s urban areas and serviced villages (those with water and wastewater). It also notes that potential upcoming changes to Provincial housing-related rules and policies could impact Oxford’s approach.

CP 2022-397 - Potential Options for Increasing Residential Density

Other reports and presentations

• Public meeting and CP 2022-390: Application for Official Plan Amendment OP 22-10-4 – Almeda & Leslie Charlton
• Public meeting and CP 2022-394: Application for Official Plan Amendment OP 22-07-8 – Canfield Acres Inc.
• Public meeting and CP 2022-395: Application for Official Plan Amendment OP 22-13-8 – Hacienda Leasing Inc.
• CS 2022-33: Electronic Monitoring Policy

Questions or comments?                                                                  

Council this Week highlights Council activities for the public, employees and community partners. Please send your questions and comments to communications@oxfordcounty.ca