Barns on small, severed properties in Huron County no longer have to be torn down.

Planning Director, Sandra Weber, explains, historically, municipal bylaws dictated how many livestock could be kept on a small parcel of severed land and county councillors were concerned that that often meant the barn on the property had to be town down.

But Weber says the Province has indicated that municipalities don’t have the authority to dictate number of livestock, that falls to the Provincial Nutrient Management Act.

“The Province has indicated that municipalities are not able to limit the number of livestock on an agricultural parcel, as it conflicts with the Nutrient Management Act in regulation and council wanted to ensure that existing barns could remain and not have to be demolished and that livestock are still able to be kept on these parcels,” said Weber.

That means that barns on those properties don’t have to be torn down.

“County council has directed an approach that removes the provision from the local municipal bylaws that limits livestock on these AG4 properties and that would then leave it up to the Provincial Nutrient Management Act and Regulations to regulate livestock and nutrients on these small parcels,” added Weber.