The Town of Whitby has initiated their Official Plan Review & Update. Council approved Report PD 23-28 Town-Initiated Official Plan Review: Terms of Reference.
The Whitby Official Plan was last updated in 2018 with a planning horizon to 2031. The 2018 update involved significant changes to previous policies, resulting in a new long-term vision for the municipality that directs where and how to manage increased growth and development pressure, now and into the future.
This review and update will build upon the 2018 Official Plan, and other recent Secondary Plan updates, and focus on changes required to comply with the Planning Act, including:
- Conforming to updated policies of the new Envision Durham Regional Official Plan, pending approval by the Province;
- Updating the Brooklin Community Secondary Plan to reflect the expanded Urban Area Boundary to 2051 of approximately 500 hectares, per the new Regional Official Plan;
- Conforming to changes in Provincial legislation and the new Provincial Planning Statement, pending approval by the Province; and,
- Ensuring that the vision for the Town of Whitby continues to meet the community's needs, while planning for future growth in a sustainable manner.
By 2051, Whitby is forecasted to grow to 244,890 in population and 95,210 jobs.
Updating the Official Plan is also a priority, as the Regional Municipality of Durham will no longer have Planning Authority to support lower-tier municipalities, once related Bill 23 amendments to the Planning Act take effect, pending provincial proclamation.
The Official Plan Review will be undertaken in four project phases, in addition to the current pre-project Initiation phase.
Pre-Project Initiation: Consulting Team Retained, Technical Advisory Committee established - Current Phase - Q4 2023
Phase 1: Background Review and Analysis - Q1 2024 - Q3 2024
Phase 2: Proposed Policy Updates - Q4 2024 - Q1 2025
Phase 3: Draft Official Plan Amendments - Q2 2025 - Q3 2025
Phase 4: Final Recommendation Official Plan Amendment(s) - Q4 2025 - Q1 2026
For additional information, contact Lori Teolin, MCIP, RPP Principal Planner, Policy and Heritage Planning at 905-444-2858.
