There has been keen interest in a 46ac block of land in Co Meath that will go for online auction on Wednesday 23 June.

The land, at Kells Road, Athboy, is free-draining and fertile, which is always a good draw.

However, adding to the attraction of this holding is that the 46ac is on the edge of Athboy village and is zoned for development.

The land is being sold by property consultants Loman Dempsey and the guide price for the 46ac is €1.4m, which is just over €30,400/ac.

One block

The land is in one block and is in a mix of tillage and grass. It has a lot of road frontage - 1.2km in all - along two public roads.

These are the N51 Kells Road and the Gillstown Road. There are six gate entrances into the land from the road.

The land was zoned under the Co Meath development plan 2013-2019.

One portion, 34ac, is zoned A1 residential post-2019. The balance is zoned G1 community facilities.

Possible zone changes

Meath Co Council is due to finalise a new development plan in November 2021 and this may see the land lose its zoning.

This is in line with current Government preference to focus building and development on town and village centres.

Changes to land zoning for new county development plans is often the subject of negotiation and discussion between landowners and planning officials.

Whether or not the zoning stays on this land or is removed, the holding is still edge-of-town and has development potential.

As a result, it is now of interest to investors and builders as well as to farmers.

It will be interesting to see who emerges as the new owner, presuming it sells.

In the online auction, Loman Dempsey and team will be offer the holding in three lots.

Lot A will be 11.5ac (zoned residential). Lot B is 14.83ac (zoned residential). Lot C is 19.92ac (zoned residential/community facilities).