So called “backyard chickens” will be up for discussion at a meeting of Belleville’s Planning Advisory Committee Monday afternoon.
Recently, city residents appeared before council asking that urban residents be allowed to install chicken coops and keep a limited number of hens to produce eggs for their own consumption.
Monday, city staff is asking the planning committee to defer any decision and send the issue to consultants who are now creating a new city-wide Official Plan.
Several municipalities now allow “backyard chickens” but under strict conditions. For example, in Quinte West they are only allowed on properties one acre in size or more.
In the City of Kingston, a maximum of six hens can be kept at any one time.
