What are the benefits of an Official Plan?

    Benefits of Barrie's Official Plan include:

    • Helps residents understand how City land may be used now and in the future.
    • Ensures that as Barrie continues to grow, new developments meet the needs of the community.
    • Provides a framework for establishing municipal zoning bylaws 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.


    What is an Official Plan?

    Barrie is a rapidly growing city that will see many changes in the years to come. By the year 2051, as per the province’s direction, Barrie’s population is expected to double to 298,000 people.  

    An Official Plan is a long range planning document that guides the use of land in the City as well as its future growth and development. It provides direction on how and where change and growth should take place and identifies the services and facilities needed to support the development of healthy and complete communities while setting out measures to conserve our natural and cultural heritage.

    Built on input from residents, businesses and City Council, the new Official Plan will provide a roadmap to Barrie’s future and will direct how and where Barrie will grow over the next 30 plus years, until 2051.  

    The Plan will help us grow responsibly as we continue to meet our land use, development and conservation goals of being a vibrant, connected, diverse, green and resilient community. 

    Why is Planning Staff updating Barrie's current Official Plan?

    The Official Plan update helps ensure the Official Plan continues to address local priorities and changing community needs. The province recommends that this update should be completed ten years after a municipality prepares a new comprehensive official plan or every five years after an update done through an amendment to the plan.