The County’s application process centres around three application types:
- Pre-Consultation
- County Official Plan Amendment
- Local Official Plan Amendment
Besides a County Pre-Consultation and a County Official Plan Amendment, all planning applications are to be submitted through the Town or Township and will be circulated to the County by the local planning staff. Further information and details on each process is available through the flow charts provided in the link below
As a final note, applicants may be required to consult with the Department of Development and Tourism if you are filing an application to amend a local municipal official plan or zoning by-law or filing an application for approval of a draft plan of subdivision/condominium, consent, or minor variance.
For questions about the Pre-Consultation or Official Plan Amendment application forms, please contact planner@dufferincounty.ca
Pre-Consultation Process
The pre-consultation process acts as a starting point of conversation for both the applicant and the County of Dufferin. Here the applicant will be provided the opportunity to describe their development proposal, how it aligns with Provincial, County, and Local planning policies, and any important details relating to transportation, engineering, sustainability, and environmental functionality.
Prior to submitting a pre-consultation application, applicants are encouraged to review the County Pre-Consultation By-law.
Official Plan Amendment
There are two streams of Official Plan Amendments, Local and County. For Local Official Plan Amendments, applicants are to submit their materials through the Town and Township, which will then be circulated to the County for review and commenting. County Official Plan Amendments are to be submitted through the County who will then circulate the respective materials to all necessary agencies.
Fees and Costs
Through By-law 2015-38, the County of Dufferin outlines a range of planning activities that correspond to a specific fee and/or deposit. A high-level overview of County Planning fees and costs is provided in the table below.
| Application/Activity | Fees | Deposit |
| County OPA - Major | $4,000 | $15,000 |
| County OPA - Minor | $1,750 | $10,000 |
| County OPA - Municipality Initiated | $750 | N/A |
| Combined County OPA and Local OPA - Major | $3,000 | $15,000 |
| Combined County OPA and Local OPA - Minor | $1,500 | $10,000 |
| Local OPA (Approver) - Major | $1,250 | $2,000 |
| Local OPA (Approver) - Minor | $750 | $1,000 |
| Local OPA (Commenter) - Major | $500 | $2,000* |
| Local OPA (Commenter) - Minor | $200 | $1,000* |
| Other Major Applications Requiring Comment | N/A | $1,000* |
| Aggregate Application | $2,000 | $25,000 |
| Pre-Consultation - Major Application | $1,000 | $10,000* |
| Pre-Consultation - Minor Application | $500 | $3,000 |
| Sub-Review | N/A | $10,000* |
Deposits with an (*) annotation next to the amount will be assessed by planning staff and depending on the complexity of the application may be reduced or adjusted accordingly. Minor applications are site specific.
There is $500 non-refundable fee if application is withdrawn during approval process prior to draft approval (Legislative authority: Section 69 of the Planning Act)
Method of Payment:
Fees can be paid by cheque, made payable to the County of Dufferin. Cheques can be mailed to or dropped off at 30 Centre Street, Orangeville, ON L9W 2X1.
Fees can also be paid online by credit card.