A land severance is the authorized separation of a piece of land to form a new lot or a new parcel of land. This is commonly known as a consent. It is required, if you want to sell, mortgage, charge or enter into any agreement (at least 21 years) for a portion of your land. If the two parts are split already, by a road or railway for example, consent is not needed.

The County of Oxford Official Plan has specific policies and requirements for land severance. In addition to the division of land, rights-of-way, easements and any change to your existing property boundaries also require land severance approval.

If you wish to sever your property, an application for Consent or Consent and Minor Variance (on-line form) must be submitted to the Land Division Committee for the County of Oxford. When reviewing severance applications, Planning Office staff visit the sites and prepare reports on the planning acceptability of these applications. The Land Division Committee then approves or denies the application at a public hearing and will attach conditions to any approval.

For more information on the severance (consent) process, please contact the Planning Office (519-539-9800 x3212) and speak to either the Land Division Secretary-Treasurer or a Planner.

For general information on the severance process, you can also visit: MMAH Land Use Planning: Land Severances