FAQs

A Comprehensive Review is a long-range land use planning process.  It is the technical process which the Municipality will use to inform an update to its Official Plan and apply the policies of the province's Provincial Policy Statement and the County of Middlesex Official Plan. The Comprehensive Review will be informed by a number of other studies including the Residential Land Needs Assessment (2020) and Employment Lands Study (2021). Through the Comprehensive Review, the Municipality will plan for where and how to accommodate the population and employment growth that is forecasted for the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc up to the year 2046.

Starting in 2019, the Municipality undertook a Land Needs Assessment to determine whether the Municipality has a surplus or deficit of lands designated for residential purposes to meet the projected residential needs of the population to 2046. Starting in 2021, the Municipality completed an Employment Lands Study to determine whether the Municipality has a surplus or deficit of lands designated for employment purposes to meet the job needs of the community 2046.

The Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc contains two (2) settlement areas referred to as Strathroy and Mount Brydges. The Strathroy-Caradoc Official Plan defines the specific boundaries of those settlement areas which allows for growth and development to happen within the Settlement Area Boundaries, while the areas outside of these boundaries are considered ‘Prime Agricultural lands’ or privately / partially serviced ‘Hamlet Areas’. Growth and development is restricted on lands outside of the Settlement Area Boundaries.

The Municipality will be engaging with landowners and developers who submit requests to consider their lands within the Settlement Area Boundary. Preliminary recommendations for the Comprehensive Review process will be presented to Council in Summer 2022 prior to undertaking detailed analysis and presenting a final recommendation in Q1 2023.

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The Comprehensive Review will use the population, housing, and employment projection scenarios to the 2046 planning horizon that were developed by Middlesex County in 2020. On March 15, 2021, Municipal Council approved the 2021-2046 population and housing projections prepared by the County of Middlesex as part of the County Official Plan Update. It was recommended that the high growth scenario be adopted, which would see 35,360 residents in 15,260 households in the Municipality by the year 2046. This represents an increase of 13,770 residents between 2016 and 2046.

A Settlement Area Boundary Expansion is part of a long-range land use planning process to plan for where and how growth will happen in Strathroy-Caradoc.  It is the technical process which the Municipality will use to inform an update to its Official Plan and apply the policies of the province's Provincial Planning Statement and the County of Middlesex Official Plan.

The SABE will be informed by several other studies including the Residential Land Needs Assessment (2022) and Employment Lands Study (2021) as well as the Growth Analysis Update – Middlesex County (2025). Through the SABE, the Municipality will review existing opportunities for infill and intensification and plan for where and how to accommodate the population and employment growth that is forecasted for the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc for the next 30 years.

Based on Provincial Policy Statement and more recent Provincial Planning Statement 2024, The Residential Land Needs Assessment, Employment Lands Study, and County of Middlesex Official Plan have determined the number of residents and jobs that the Municipality needs to plan for over the next 30 years. This growth can be accommodated in existing built-up areas through intensification and infill in existing neighbourhoods and through expansions to settlement area boundaries, unlocking new locations to accommodate growth.

The Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc contains two urban settlement areas – Strathroy and Mount Brydges. The Strathroy-Caradoc Official Plan defines the specific boundaries of those settlement areas which allows for growth and development to happen within the Settlement Area Boundaries, while the areas outside of these boundaries are considered ‘Prime Agricultural lands’ or privately / partially serviced ‘Hamlet Areas’. Opportunities for growth and development is therefore limited on lands outside of the Settlement Area Boundaries.

Determining the Settlement Area Boundary Expansion and preferred approach to growth will use population, housing, and job forecasts that have been developed by the Residential Land Needs Assessment and Employment Lands Study, as well as the County of Middlesex Official Plan. The Provincial Planning Statement (2024) requires that the Municipality plan to accommodate future growth.

Provincial policy requires that the Municipality’s Official Plan have a plan to accommodate future growth that optimizes existing and planned full municipal water and wastewater services and public service facilities and efficiently uses land and resources. Growing Together Strathroy-Caradoc included the completion of Master Plans to guide important investments in transportation, trails, and parks and recreation.

In December 2024, Council approved the Municipality’s Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Master Plan which is a long-term strategy to provide vital services to existing residents and accommodate future growth to 2046. Prior to any development taking place in future development lands, capacity for infrastructure and servicing will need to be verified and extended.