BY RONAN MCSHERRY

r.mcsherry@ulsterherald.com

LAND in the west of Tyrone is now fetching prices comparable with Belfast.

At an auction held yesterday (Wednesday) at the Mellon County Inn, 9.3 acres described as 'Potential Residential Development Lands' fetched a staggering price of £6.5m. The ground is situated between the Circular Road and Glencam Road close to Killyclogher.

The agricultural land owned by Victor Preston was acquired by a developer from Derry. The area is designed 'white-land' within the limits of Development as designed by the current Omagh Area Plan. Existing high density private housing is close-by.

While there are no current planning approvals on the lands subject to permission they will most likely be used to build resident housing.

Omagh estate agent Danny McLernon told the perspective buyers at the auction that the £6.5 million bid had been made and if there were no further offers the land would be sold.

The proceedings lasted less than two minutes as there was no increased bids made. The sale is in keeping with the massive increase in prices over the last number of years.

This rise looks set to continue with the scarcity of development grounds available for housing.

The impact of the ban on building in the countryside has also increased the demand for town housing. This trend will persist unless planners move the zone further out of town. That prospect seems highly unlikely.