Official Plan

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Land use planning affects all aspects of our lives here in Ontario. It helps decide where homes, parks and schools should be located and where roads, sewers and other essential services should be provided. An Official Plan is a policy document that guides short-term and long-term development.

Developing the Niagara-on-the-Lake Official Plan is a big project, and we will be calling on residents and business owners for input. We will be inviting you to become engaged in the process and to get involved. With your input, we can develop a plan to help achieve the desired future of our community.

Stay tuned for ways that you can Join the Conversation! In the meantime, consider subscribing to this page to receive email notifications regarding project updates.


Land use planning affects all aspects of our lives here in Ontario. It helps decide where homes, parks and schools should be located and where roads, sewers and other essential services should be provided. An Official Plan is a policy document that guides short-term and long-term development.

Developing the Niagara-on-the-Lake Official Plan is a big project, and we will be calling on residents and business owners for input. We will be inviting you to become engaged in the process and to get involved. With your input, we can develop a plan to help achieve the desired future of our community.

Stay tuned for ways that you can Join the Conversation! In the meantime, consider subscribing to this page to receive email notifications regarding project updates.


  • Final Draft - Official Plan, December 2018

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    The Final Draft of the new Official Plan (December, 2018, Draft V) has been released. The applicable documents can be found in the "Document Library" on this page.

    The revised Plan contains structural modifications, revisions and additional policy to the proposed version that was released in June 2016. Feedback received from agencies, stakeholders, and the public in the earlies stages have been considered in undertaking revisions to the proposed new Official Plan. The December version also contains the newly proposed Character Areas and Heritage Conservation policies, resulting from the Estate Lot Study process.

    The next step is for Council to provide direction regarding the scheduling of an Open House in the new year. Once the details are available, the notice for the Open House will be shared widely, including on the Town’s website (www.notl.org) and on this information page.

    Should you have questions regarding the content of the Plan, please call Rick Wilson, Senior Planner at 905-468-3266, ext. 313.

  • Benefits of an Official Plan

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    An official plan:

    • Lets the public know what the municipality's general land use planning policies are.
    • Makes sure that growth is coordinated and meets the community’s needs.
    • Helps members of the community understand how their land may be used now and in the future.
    • Helps decide where roads, watermains, sewers, dumps, parks and other services will be built.
    • Provides a framework for establishing municipal zoning by-laws to set local regulations and standards, like the size of lots and height of buildings.
    • Provides a way to evaluate and settle conflicting land uses while meeting local, regional and provincial interests.
    • Shows Council's commitment to the future growth of the community.

Page last updated: 17 Jun 2019, 09:07 AM