Notice of Public Meeting to review draft Agriculture Amendment to the County’s Official Plan

Cobourg, ON – July 7, 2026 – Following extensive public consultation, an amendment to the County’s Official Plan focused on agricultural lands and mapping, will be presented for consideration at a public meeting during the Economic Development, Tourism & Land Use Planning Committee meeting on July 29.

This amendment aims to protect our community’s vital local Agricultural System for future generations by reviewing and updating prime agricultural areas in Northumberland, as well as mapping, policies and frameworks related to agriculture and rural lands.

The Agriculture Amendment is part of the ‘Northumberland Next’ initiative to update the County’s Official Plan. Updates include a series of amendments, guiding community growth and development in Northumberland over the next 30 years.

The purpose of the Agriculture Amendment, Official Plan Amendment No 3 (‘OPA 3’), is to:

• Update the extent of the Agricultural Area designation in the County Official Plan
• Update the policy framework to ensure consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024
• Rationalize the boundaries of a number of settlement areas in the County to ensure that they are aligned with property boundaries and existing approvals
• Expand the Grafton settlement area through a minor rounding out to implement a request made by Alnwick-Haldimand Council

After extensive consultation with residents and community partners from 2022 to 2025, the project team has developed plans and mapping, incorporating the feedback gathered throughout the process. Community members are invited to review the draft amendment, then attend the July committee meeting to learn more and ask questions.

The draft amendment, mapping, and details are available at Northumberland.ca/NorthumberlandNext.

Public Meeting details

This public meeting will take place during Northumberland County’s Economic Development, Tourism & Land Use Planning Committee Meeting.

When: Wednesday July 29, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Details: This meeting will be held using a hybrid meeting model:

• Attend in person: Council Chambers, 555 Courthouse Road, Cobourg
• Watch the live stream
• Join Online via Zoom
  • Zoom Meeting ID: 867 6457 4351
  • Zoom Meeting Passcode: 998098
  • Join the Zoom meeting by phone (toll-free): 855-703-8985

If you wish to be notified of the decision of Northumberland County Council on the proposed official plan amendment, you must subscribe your email at Northumberland Next: Official Plan Update | Join In Northumberland .

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of Northumberland County to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to Northumberland County before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to Northumberland County before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

Appeal rights may be limited under the Planning Act where the Minister is the approval authority.