Corby is a town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, 23 miles north-east of Northampton and 19 miles west of Peterborough, its nearest city. The parish had 62,341 people in 2021 and the wider built-up area 68,160. It was once called "Little Scotland" because of the many Scottish workers who came to its steelworks, and from 1974 to 2021 it was the headquarters of the Borough of Corby.
We are a broker that arranges business mortgages for trading companies buying or refinancing their own premises in Corby. We never lend, and the finance we arrange is secured on commercial buildings that a business occupies, not on anyone's home.
What does a new-town layout mean for commercial property loans in Corby, England?
Corby's roads were planned rather than inherited. The town sits on the A43, A427 and A6003, with several dual carriageways, wide reservations and an outer ring road around the southern suburbs. The A6003 is the only dual carriageway link to a neighbouring town, Kettering, and the A14 is 6 miles away. Birmingham, Luton, Stansted and East Midlands airports are all within two hours' drive.
For an owner-occupier that layout has practical effects. Industrial and trade units on the main routes are easy for lorries and vans to reach, which helps manufacturers, distributors and trade suppliers. Lenders like buildings that another business could readily use, and accessible units in a town with room to grow usually fit that test. Our business mortgages page explains how the lending is assessed.
Plastics, vehicle parts and logistics in Corby and its district
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Figures are for the North Northamptonshire local authority area.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Corby share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction and building trades | 2,275 | 13.4% | 12.5% |
| Arts, sport and leisure | 1,780 | 10.5% | 3% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 1,770 | 10.4% | 13.9% |
| Retail | 1,335 | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 1,320 | 7.8% | 4.2% |
| Business support services | 1,255 | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 950 | 5.6% | 4.3% |
| Health and social care | 810 | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 790 | 4.6% | 6.1% |
- 6.7xsport and leisure1,645 businesses
- 2.2xrubber and plastics65 businesses
- 2.0xroad haulage and land transport740 businesses
- 2.0xmotor vehicles and parts40 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
The figures for Corby cover the whole of North Northamptonshire, 17,005 business units in all. Manufacturing runs at 1.31 times the UK share, with rubber and plastics makers at 2.19 times and vehicle and trailer manufacturers at 2.03 times. Road haulage is also strong, at 2.04 times the national rate, so transport firms account for 7.8% of businesses.
Many of these firms work from steel-framed units on the town's industrial estates. A manufacturer buying such a unit is usually treated as a standard owner-occupier, and the valuation leans on the plentiful supply of similar buildings nearby.
Regeneration and owner-occupier mortgages in the Corby area
Corby has been through visible regeneration. Corby railway station and Corby International Pool opened in 2009, and the Corby Cube followed in 2010, with a 450-seat theatre and the public library. The town has also grown quickly, absorbing villages such as Great Oakley and Weldon into its urban area, and the North Northants Development Company once ran a campaign called "North Londonshire" to attract people from London.
Growth in population brings demand for local services: shops, clinics, gyms, nurseries, trades and food businesses. When those companies outgrow rented space, buying a unit or a shop becomes an option. Where a shop has a flat above, it is semi-commercial. 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.
Corby's industrial rating list grows by more than half
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Figures for the North Northamptonshire council area. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse5,210properties on the rating listUp 52.8% since 2016Average rateable value £48,600factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices1,760properties on the rating listUp 24.8% since 2016Average rateable value £10,100offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail2,380properties on the rating listUp 5.8% since 2016Average rateable value £24,600shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial2,550properties on the rating listUp 8.1% since 2016Average rateable value £33,100pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Corby estates, from Earlstrees to Willowbrook East
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Corby, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- St James Industrial EstateCorby NN18 8AN
- Phoenix Park Industrial EstateCorby NN17
- Corby Business CentreEismann Way, Corby NN17 5ZB
- Units B & C Brunel Road Earlstrees Industrial EstateCorby NN17 4LT
- MIDLANDS LOGISTICS PARKA6086, Corby NN18, UK
- Earlstrees Industrial Estate14 Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby NN17 4AX
- Willowbrook East Industrial EstateCorby
- Centrix Business ParkCorby NN17 5DP
- Weldon South Industrial EstateCorby NN18 8AG
- Trafalgar Business ParkWillowbrook North Industrial Estate, Corby NN17 5ZA
- Tyson Courtyard Weldon South Industrial EstateCorby NN18 8AZ
- Cronin Road Weldon South Industrial EstateCorby NN18 8AQ
North Northamptonshire's industrial premises rose from 3,410 to 5,210 on the rating list, up 52.8%, the sharpest growth of any type. Offices grew 24.8%, and total stock is up 26.2%. Industrial units average a rateable value of £48,600, nearly five times the office figure of £10,100. A Corby buyer will find a wide choice of modern sheds, and the valuer will have no shortage of comparables.
Paying for business premises in Corby, Northamptonshire
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending normally advance 70 to 75% of the purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower, at indicative rates of 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Terms run from 5 to 25 years and arrangement fees are typically 1 to 2%.
Illustrative example. A fabrication company buys a freehold industrial unit in Corby for £350,000. A 75% loan is £262,500 and the deposit £87,500. Stamp Duty Land Tax at HMRC's non-residential rates, 0% to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy), is £7,000. The commercial stamp duty guide explains the bands, and our Northamptonshire hub covers nearby towns.
Corby neighbourhoods and nearby towns for premises buyers
Corby town centre
The centre was reshaped by the opening of the railway station and the Corby Cube, which houses a theatre, library and community facilities. Shops, cafes and professional offices near the Cube and on the routes to the station are the typical purchase for local service companies wanting a visible, owned base.
Weldon
Weldon has been drawn into Corby's urban area but remains a separate parish, divided from the rest of the town by the A43. Its position on that road makes it a practical location for trade and light industrial businesses that need easy access towards Kettering and Northampton.
Great Oakley
Great Oakley is one of the villages absorbed as Corby expanded. Growth on this side of the town has added homes and the local services that follow them, so the businesses here that buy premises tend to be shops, clinics and service firms serving new residents.
Danesholme
Danesholme is one of the districts on the X4 bus route that links Corby with Kettering, Northampton and Peterborough. Neighbourhood parades in districts like this suit owner-occupiers such as pharmacies, convenience stores and takeaways, where owning the shop protects a business that depends on its exact location.
Kettering
Kettering is Corby's dual-carriageway neighbour along the A6003 and the nearest access to the A14. Many Corby firms compare premises in both towns, weighing Corby's industrial space against Kettering's distribution parks and business park offices.
