Loughborough is the second-largest settlement in Leicestershire and the administrative centre of Charnwood, a market and university town close to the Nottinghamshire border and within reach of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. Its industrial identity is unusually specific: John Taylor Bellfounders, the world's largest and the UK's only bell foundry, still casts here, and Brush Traction builds railway locomotives next to the Midland railway station. Loughborough University adds an Engineering Innovation Centre and a centre for low-carbon and fuel cell technology.
Business Mortgages Broker arranges commercial mortgages for trading companies across the town. We are a broker, not a lender, and we put forward only lenders whose criteria suit your accounts and your building. The loan is secured on premises your company occupies and is not a residential mortgage.
Owner-occupier mortgages for engineering and research firms in Loughborough, England
The university's engineering departments, and the apprenticeships that local firms run with them, sustain a cluster of small engineering, design and technology companies. Many start in rented space or incubators, then look to buy a unit once they have a few years of accounts behind them.
Lenders look for a trading record and profits that cover the repayments with room to spare. A young company with strong growth but only two years of figures may need a larger deposit. Workshops with general industrial use are straightforward to value; heavily adapted test or laboratory space is valued more cautiously. Our page on owner-occupier mortgages explains the assessment in more detail.
Machinery makers and consultancies around Loughborough
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Figures are for the Charnwood local authority area.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Loughborough share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 1,080 | 14.1% | 14% |
| Construction and building trades | 990 | 12.9% | 12.5% |
| Retail | 705 | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| Business support services | 520 | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 495 | 6.5% | 6.3% |
| Health and social care | 465 | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 455 | 5.9% | 4.2% |
| Information and communication | 385 | 5% | 6.1% |
| Property | 375 | 4.9% | 4.5% |
- 2.3xmachinery manufacturing40 businesses
- 1.4xfabricated metal products75 businesses
- 1.4xmachinery repair and installation55 businesses
- 1.4xsport and leisure150 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Charnwood's 7,665 business units lean towards technical work. Professional, scientific and technical firms make up 14.1% of the total, machinery manufacturers run at 2.25 times the UK share, and fabricators and repair engineers both sit at 1.4 times. Sports and recreation businesses are above average too, at 1.36 times, which fits a town known for its university sports facilities.
An engineering firm buying its own unit is assessed on profit and the building's resale appeal. A gym or sports venue is often treated more like a trading business, with closer attention paid to turnover and membership income.
Buying a shop or office in the Loughborough town centre
The pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street are the centre of the shopping area, with several art deco buildings, a large outdoor market every Thursday and Saturday, and a monthly farmers' market. A market was first recorded here in 1221. The Rushes shopping centre, on the site of the old bus station, holds national chains and is linked to the centre by Churchgate and Churchgate Mews, where independent shops trade. Pedestrianisation was completed in November 2014 to support town-centre trade.
Retailers, cafés and professional firms buying here often take period buildings with upper floors. If a director or close relative will live in a flat above, the loan may be regulated. Commercial lending to a limited company is unregulated and falls outside the FCA's regulated mortgage perimeter. Where a deal would be regulated, for example lending to a sole trader or individual, or a property where the borrower or a close family member will live in part of it, we refer it to an appropriately authorised firm.
Charnwood's office stock grows by a third
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Figures for the Charnwood council area. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse1,690properties on the rating listUp 5% since 2016Average rateable value £33,200factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices820properties on the rating listUp 32.3% since 2016Average rateable value £19,200offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail1,270properties on the rating listUnchanged since 2016Average rateable value £22,600shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial1,140properties on the rating listUp 1.8% since 2016Average rateable value £41,000pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Loughborough units from Charnwood Business Park to Meadow Lane
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Loughborough, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Little Moor Lane Industrial EstateLoughborough LE11 1SF
- Meadow Lane Industrial EstateLoughborough LE11 1JP
- Ark Business CentreLoughborough LE11 1JP
- Oaks Industrial EstateFestival Dr, Loughborough LE11 5XN
- Windmill Road Industrial EstateWindmill Rd, Loughborough LE11 1RA
- Falcon Business ParkLoughborough LE11 1HL
- Charnwood Business ParkLoughborough LE11 1LE
- Castle Business ParkLoughborough LE11 5GW
- Beazer Industrial EstateLoughborough LE11 5TR
- Swingbridge Industrial EstateLoughborough LE11 5JF
- Loughborough University Science and Enterprise ParkLoughborough LE11 3QF
- Clear View Business ParkQuorn, Loughborough LE12 8XG
Office entries on the Charnwood rating list rose from 620 to 820, up 32.3%, while retail stayed at 1,270 and industrial grew 5%. The average office rateable value is £19,200 and industrial units average £33,200. A consultancy or tech firm buying a suite has more choice than ten years ago, and a valuer has a better spread of comparable offices to look at.
Commercial property loan costs for businesses in Charnwood
Indicative pricing for owner-occupiers is 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation, at 70 to 75% loan to value over 5 to 25 years. The lender registers a first legal charge at HM Land Registry and usually asks for directors' guarantees.
Illustrative example. A Loughborough design engineering firm buys a freehold workshop for £300,000. A 75% loan is £225,000, so the deposit is £75,000. Stamp Duty Land Tax at HMRC non-residential rates comes to 2% of £100,000 (£2,000) plus 5% of £50,000 (£2,500), so £4,500, rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy. Our costs page covers legal and valuation fees.
Loughborough station is on the Midland Main Line, with half-hourly trains to London St Pancras and services to Nottingham, Sheffield, Leicester and Lincoln, which helps firms that recruit or sell beyond the town. For the rest of the county, see our Leicestershire business mortgages page.
Loughborough business areas we cover
Market Place and Market Street
The pedestrianised heart of the town, with art deco buildings, including the one that houses the Odeon, and the twice-weekly outdoor market. Shops, cafés and service businesses buying here want footfall and a prominent frontage, and lenders value that position.
Churchgate and Churchgate Mews
The link between The Rushes and the town centre, with Churchgate Mews known for independent shops. Smaller retail and studio units suit owner-occupiers buying their first building on a modest budget.
The Rushes
A shopping centre built on the former bus station and occupied by national chains. Neighbouring commercial buildings attract retailers and service firms that benefit from the centre's footfall.
Eastern Gateway
A £20 million development completed in 2013 around the railway station, with a new road and housing. Being close to the station and to Brush Traction makes the area relevant for engineering suppliers and office-based firms.
Baxter Gate
Site of the former General Hospital, redeveloped in 2016 as a cinema complex with restaurants; the cinema closed in 2024. Hospitality and leisure operators looking for town-centre premises keep an eye on space here.
