The Land Evaluation and Area Review (LEAR) is an agricultural background study that will inform future amendments to the Region of Peel and Town of Caledon Official Plans. LEAR is a technical study which serves as the provincial standard for the identification and refinement of Prime Agricultural Areas by municipalities in their Official Plans.
The Ontario Planning Act requires municipalities to update their official plans every five years to ensure policies stay current and meet policy requirements. The LEAR study will provide recommendations to update the Official Plans for the Region of Peel and Town of Caledon, in accordance with provincial policy.
The Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) Review is a background study that will review the application of the provincial MDS formulae in the Town of Caledon to ensure that it is effective for minimizing land use conflicts in the rural area. MDS is a planning method that utilizes setbacks to separate new or expanding livestock barns or manure storage from new or expanding non-farm uses as a means to address odour. This study will be used to inform the Region of Peelâs and Town of Caledonâs comments on the 2015 Provincial MDS review.
âAgriculture in Peel is an important social, cultural and economic resource to our community. It is a legacy that we will leave for future generations,â said Emil Kolb, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for the Region of Peel. âEnsuring that agriculture continues as part of the community requires both protection of the land base and the economic viability of the agriculture sector.â
Peel residents are encouraged to submit their feedback for the LEAR Study and/or MDS Review by April 30, 2014. For more information on these studies, visit peelregion.ca/planning/paawg/lear-mds.htm
In 2010, there were 440 farms in Peel region, employing 660 farm operators and 920 employees, and generating $88.86 million in Gross Farm Receipts (Statistics Canada, 2011). For more information on agriculture in Peel region, visit peelregion.ca/planning-maps/Agriculture_Bulletin_Web.pdf.
For more information on the Region of Peel, call 905-791-7800 or visit peelregion.ca.
CONTACT:
Arvin Prasad, MCIP, RPP
Director, Integrated Planning Division
Region of Peel
905-791-7800, ext. 4251