The Ontario Municipal Board has decided to allow surplus farm dwellings to be severed, with the farmer still retaining ownership of the adjacent farmland.
Chatsworth Mayor Howard Greig says he’s not sure how this will affect farmers and Grey and Bruce County Councils are going to have to review the official plan to see how this will change planning.
He says when they hold public meetings into the matter, they’ll find out from local farmers what really is best.
Many say by allowing severance, more farm operations will become large, consolidated operations, with more farmland held by fewer farmers.
Another problem Greig foresees is adding dwellings to the farm land that will no longer have a house attached to it.
He says this isn’t in order with Grey County’s growth strategy – as it would put urban type growth in a rural setting, and he’s not sure if there are any limitations in place yet.
However, he does see some good.
Greig says dilapidated houses won’t sit vacant as eyesores anymore – if the house is severed, someone else will take ownership and maintain the house to live in.
Grey County’s planning committee is asking for county policy to become the same as provincial policy, which allows for severance of surplus farm dwellings even if they are not next to each other.
The current plan only allows severance if the structures border the original farm.
