RE: Agricultural Lot…

RE: Agricultural Lot Severances, ERO #019-6813 for review of proposed policies adapted from A Place to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement to form a new provincial planning policy instrument

Dear Minister Clark,

I am writing to express my opinion regarding the proposed changes found in the proposed Provincial Policy Statement, 2023 (PPS 2023).

Although I realize the need to control development in rural areas order to protect agricultural lands. I would like to propose an amendment to farmlands where a residence has previously been severed through a process called Surplus Farm Dwelling Severance.

Surplus farm dwelling severances are an excellent tool for freeing up equity tied in a farm to help farmers lower the cost of land while expanding operations.

One stipulation I would like to see modified is the part of the policy on surplus severances that states that "New residential dwellings shall be prohibited on the remnant parcel of farmland created by the severance;"

As of today, essentially once the surplus residence is severed, the owner (and any future owners) of the retained farm lands are prohibited from building a new residence down the road. Although a farm residence may be surplus at a specific point in time. There are reasons in the future a new residence may want to be constructed on the retained farmlands.

I believe the current process is prohibiting growth within our farming communities and restricting farm families as they grow and diversify. No one knows what the future holds, but to prevent growth and restrict building because of something that was completed in the past is counter productive.

I would like to see the policy amended to allow 1 new residential unit to be built on retained farmlands when a surplus residence severance has already occurred in the past. And to remove that restriction on new surplus severances.

Regards