Official Plan Review

The City of Stratford is reviewing and updating its Official Plan. An Official Plan is a key planning document that sets out policies and objectives to guide land use, development, and growth across the City. Together, these policies are used to shape growth and compatibility between different land uses and the environment.

The Official Plan consists of policies that address topics like:

• Where housing, businesses, shops, and roads should be located;
• What parts of the City will be the focus for growth and what that growth will look like;
• How to promote, enhance, and protect heritage assets;
• How neighbourhoods evolve over time;
• Which services, infrastructure, and amenities, are needed and where they should be located; and
• How to plan for the impacts of climate change.

The Provincial Planning Act requires that the City of Stratford’s Official Plan be reviewed every five years to ensure it conforms to Provincial legislation, policy and plans. The City adopted its last comprehensive review of the Official Plan in 2016 (known as Official Plan Amendment 21) and plans for growth in the City to the year 2033. Since 2016, the Province has updated the Planning Act and has released two new planning policy statements, the most recent and current being the Provincial Planning Statement which came into effect on October 20, 2024.

Get Involved!

The Official Plan Review process will occur in four phases and will include community engagement throughout.

We are seeking your feedback to help identify your needs and priorities as the City engages with the community in a way that is accessible and transparent. There are many ways for you to get involved in the Official Plan Review and share your feedback that will help inform the updated Official Plan.

On this page you will find activities that you are able to participate in. The tools, documents, and questions will change as the project progresses and as we learn more about the community's needs and interests, so check-in often and tell us what you think!