Grey County has approved a new Official Plan that will guide future growth and development in Durham and Neustadt.
The plan replaces the previous document adopted in 2012 and establishes updated land-use policies covering housing, employment, infrastructure, environmental protection and climate change.
West Grey adopted the plan in December 2025 before forwarding it to the County. County council approved it July 9, 2026 with a series of modifications supported by West Grey council.
According to the County’s planning report, the plan is intended to support development "at densities that provide for the efficient use of land and infrastructure" while providing a range of land uses and housing types.
County staff said West Grey currently has "sufficient designated lands to meet growth expectations" over the extended planning period.
The plan encourages more development through infilling and intensification in Durham and Neustadt, while directing most urban growth to areas where municipal water, wastewater and other services are available.
It also introduces updated employment-area policies, climate-change measures, natural heritage protections and policies dealing with source water, unstable soils and karst formations.
Most of the County’s modifications were described as minor or typographical. However, one change removes part of a proposed addition to the Durham settlement area along the community’s western edge.
County staff said the affected lands include a large area designated for future development that "likely warrants review, rationalization and formal acceptance" through a separate amendment to the Grey County Official Plan.
West Grey council endorsed the proposed modifications at its June 16 meeting.
The new plan applies only to Durham and Neustadt. The remainder of West Grey will continue to be governed directly by the Grey County Official Plan. It is designed to guide growth in the two communities through 2046.
Once formal notice of the County’s decision is issued, the Planning Act provides for a 20-day appeal period. West Grey will also be required to update its zoning bylaw within three years to bring it into conformity with the new Official Plan.
