Employment Lands in Niagara
We're currently reviewing the employment land policies in the Regional Official Plan for the municipalities of Grimsby, West Lincoln, Wainfleet, Lincoln, St. Catharines, Pelham and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Building on the implementation of the Gateway Employment Lands Strategy and Policies, the Region is now undertaking Phase 2 of its Employment Lands Strategy.
A background study for this work was completed and endorsed by Regional Council in March 2014. The Region is moving forward to develop a strategic vision and implementing policy framework to be used to support the effective use of employment lands and contribute to regional and local economic development and employment objectives.
What are Employment Lands?
Employment lands are generally considered to be any area designated in an Official Plan for business and economic activities. Traditionally, activities in employment areas include:
- Manufacturing
- Warehousing
- Offices and associated retail and ancillary uses
Why are Employment Lands Important?
Employment lands are important to the overall economic health of the region, and serve a number of key functions:
- Support the economic base and objectives of a community
- Provide diverse employment opportunities for residents
- Facilitate municipal operations, including the provision of maintenance yards and public transit yards
- Provide space for potentially noxious or incompatible land uses such as automotive and household repair services, and processing facilities
- Provide low-cost space for start-ups and incubators for innovation in high-technology sectors
Where are Employment Lands Located?
Employment lands are located throughout the Region.
Phase 1 of Niagara's Employment Lands Study focused on employment lands located in the provincially designated Gateway Economic Zone and Centre (Welland, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Thorold and Port Colborne).
Phase 2 of the study will expand the program to provide a strategy for those urban employment lands located in Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Pelham, St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Wainfleet.
The work for this project will be completed in two parts and is anticipated to be completed by December 2015:
| Part | Timeline |
|---|---|
| 1: Stakeholder engagement, policy review and policy report | Spring/Summer 2015 |
| 2: Preparation of Regional Official Plan Amendment | Summer/Fall 2015 |
The project charter highlights key milestones for each stage of the project work program in more detail.
Get Involved and Provide your Feedback
Questions, comments and input are encouraged and welcome at any stage of the process. The Region will be holding engagement sessions to present the project and policies in greater detail in the summer.
Your feedback is important to us.
It will help us guide the development of the project.
To provide comments or to be included on our participant list, email us.