Oxford County updating Official Plan policies to allow for Additional Residential Units in Oxford's rural areas
June 20, 2022
Oxford County is in the process of updating its Official Plan policies to allow for Additional Residential Units (ARUs) in Oxford’s rural areas, including the Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, South-West Oxford and Zorra. These updates will allow residents to establish ARUs in rural settlements and on rural residential and agricultural lots, where appropriate.
The Planning Act directs that municipalities enact policies and zoning provisions that authorize ARUs in, and/or on the same property as, low density housing types, such as single-detached and semi-detached homes. This is one way that communities can provide additional housing options and increase the overall housing supply.
Updates to policies for ARUs in Oxford’s urban areas, including Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, and Woodstock, are being considered separately. The ARU policies for Woodstock were recently approved and more details are available on the project webpage.
What are ARUs?
ARUs are smaller, secondary dwelling units (i.e., self-contained units with their own kitchen, bathroom and sleeping areas) that are inside, attached to, or on the same property as (and in close proximity to) a primary dwelling, including single detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings and street fronting townhouses. ARUs can take many forms, such as basement apartments, attached suites, tiny homes and coach houses. 
It is expected that ARUs would need to meet minimum criteria, such as:
- located to the rear/side of the principal house with setbacks from lot lines and other uses;
- appropriate unit access and parking;
- adequate public/private water and wastewater services; and
- a maximum unit size to maintain affordability and minimize impacts to existing development and infrastructure.
Such units would also need to meet all local zoning, building and fire code requirements and may be eligible for funding or other support programs, such as the County’s My Second Unit program.
