HEATHER BOA Bullet News CLINTON – Local communities should be able to grant severances for small rural properties at their discretion, argued Jim Ginn, Central Huron Mayor, during a meeting of Huron County Council yesterday.
Severances for surplus dwellings and the creation of residential lots in the rural area may bring people back to the country, said Ginn, during a discussion about a review of the Provincial Policy Statement, which provides lower-tier government with direction on planning and development issues. It requires that decisions by municipal governments be consistent with the policy, which came into effect in 2005.
“This goes beyond a planning issue. We are very simply losing our communities,” said Ginn, pointing to declining rural populations and school closures. In 1885, the population of Huron County was 80,000. By 2006, it had dropped to 59,325. Results of the 2011 census will not be released by Statistics Canada until 2012.
In a unanimous vote, Huron County Council directed its director of planning and economic development, Scott Tousaw, to take the message to the Provincial Policy Review Committee that it endorses the ability for local decisions to be made on small severance lots in rural Ontario. As well, the motion will be circulated to all applicable ministries.
Tousaw, who is a member of the broad-based review committee, said it has held one introductory meeting to date. Due to a scheduling conflict, he was unable to attend. He expects the committee will have a draft ready by February 2012.
He said it’s the opinion of planners that the Provincial Policy Statement works well in urban Ontario, but is too restrictive in rural Ontario.
“I will be advocating more flexibility,” he said, adding he expects the committee will take a consensus-building approach.
Municipalities across Huron, excluding Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, currently allow severance of surplus dwellings. None allow new lots.
