Clarington Council has adopted a new Community Improvement Plan (CIP) that it hopes will help boost housing, attract investment and support business growth.
Effective January 1, 2027, Clarington’s new CIP will replace the previous approach, which focused on separate community improvement areas in downtown Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle and Orono.
Instead, the updated framework designates the entire municipality as a Community Improvement Project Area, allowing Clarington to offer targeted incentive programs for various areas and development types across the municipality, said a statement.
The new CIP will come into effect on January 1, 2027. Applications submitted and deemed complete before December 31, 2026, will continue to be processed under Clarington’s existing Community Improvement Plans.
A CIP is a tool municipalities use to provide financial incentives that encourage new development, redevelopment and property improvements.
15 Incentive Programs
The new CIP’s 15 incentive programs are designed to advance a range of community priorities across six focus areas, including:
- Downtown commercial improvements: Supporting façade improvements, signage upgrades, accessibility improvements, building renovations and new commercial space in Clarington’s historic downtowns.
- Housing: Encouraging the creation of additional dwelling units (ADUs) and affordable purpose-built rental housing to help expand housing options across the municipality.
- Employment lands: Supporting industrial business expansion and major new investment that creates jobs and strengthens Clarington’s economy.
- On-farm diversification: Helping farms diversify through initiatives such as agri-tourism, value-added agricultural businesses, building improvements and signage enhancements.
- Brownfield redevelopment: Encouraging the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of underutilized or potentially contaminated properties.
- Conference and banquet facilities: Supporting tourism-related investment through the development of conference and event facilities that attract visitors, events and economic activity.
Together, these programs are hoped to provide new tools to help remove barriers to development, encourage reinvestment, and support projects that contribute to Clarington’s long-term prosperity.