Growth Management Plan to 2051

All municipalities in Ontario are required to have an Official Plan.

An Official Plan is a document established under the Planning Act to outline the goals, objectives, and policies needed to manage and direct physical land use changes in the community. Official Plan policies also address the effects of land use changes on the social, economic, and natural environment of the municipality.

An Official Plan establishes the vision for how land is to be used, where uses can be appropriately located (and not located), any criteria associated with those permissions, and how infrastructure and support services support the community.

The goals of an Official Plan include:

Implementing matters of Provincial and County interest (growth management, promotion of County economic development objectives, agricultural issues, the protection of natural heritage features and natural resources, natural and human-made hazards, and servicing and transportation networks)
Establishing land-use designations that permit various uses of land with associated development policies
Identifying what infrastructure and services are required to support the community
Describing where and how growth will occur in the Town.

Projected growth for BWG to 2051

Population: approx. 83,470 people by 2051.
Employment: approx. 30,900 jobs by 2051.

Our Official Plan

The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury’s (BWG's) current Official Plan establishes a vision for growth and development in the Town to the year 2031.

The Town’s Official Plan is required to conform to and implement Provincial and upper-tier plans and legislation, including the:

Planning Act
Provincial Planning Statement,
Lake Simcoe Protection Plan,
Greenbelt Plan, and
Simcoe County Official Plan.

Phase 1 (Intensification First) - Status Update

By-law 2025-116, 2025-117, 2025-118 and 2025-119 (OPA No's. 5, 6, 7 and 8) concerning Phase 1 of the Town's Growth Management strategy were passed by Town Council on December 2, 2025.

Official Plan Amendments 5, 6, 7 and 8 have been forwarded to the County of Simcoe for Approval.

Adopted By-laws

Phase 2 (Settlement Area Boundary Expansion) - Status Update

Planning Staff will be kick-starting phase 2 this fall - stay tuned for more updates.

Project process

The review is planned to be conducted in two parts:

Part 1 - “Intensification First” evaluates how much of the 2051 population and employment growth allocated through SCOPA No. 7 can be accommodated within the existing Bradford Urban Area boundary. It also assesses long-term employment land needs and establishes criteria for employment land conversion, in accordance with applicable provincial policy. Part 1 is structured around four Official Plan Amendment (OPA) themes as discussed in greater detail below. Please note that the draft OPAs from part 1 have also been released and can be accessed below.
Part 2 - “Settlement Boundary Expansion” will assess the need for settlement area boundary expansion, based on the outcomes of Part 1 and applicable land needs assessments.

Part 1- Intensification First

Intensification First – focused on the following themes: