Nottinghamshire's economy was built on coal from the Leen Valley pits and on manufacturing, with Nottingham becoming synonymous with lace after local man William Lee invented the knitting frame. Today the county ranges from a large, service-heavy city in the south-west to market towns strung along the Trent, the A1 and the old coalfield. The businesses that come to us to buy their premises reflect that range: city offices and clinics, light industrial units around Mansfield and Worksop, and shops and workshops in towns like Newark-on-Trent and Retford.
Business Mortgages Broker arranges commercial mortgages for trading companies anywhere in the county. We are a broker and never a lender. The finance is a long-term loan secured on the building your company occupies, judged mainly on the company's accounts. It is a business borrowing decision, not a residential mortgage.
What owner-occupiers buy in Notts, from the city to the market towns
Nottingham, in the south-west of the county, is the most densely populated area, and the suburbs that remain in the administrative county, including Arnold, Beeston, Carlton, Hucknall, Stapleford and West Bridgford, carry a lot of the county's small-business stock: offices, surgeries, showrooms and trade units. Further out, the pattern changes. Mansfield, the second-largest settlement, Worksop in the north-west and the former mining towns of Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield have industrial and distribution premises alongside town-centre retail. Newark-on-Trent, Bingham, Tuxford and Retford are market towns with independent high streets.
Each type is financed slightly differently. Lenders like general-purpose buildings in places with plenty of comparable sales. A specialist building, or a large shop in a quieter town centre, may attract a lower loan to value. Our business mortgages page explains how a lender weighs the company and the property together.
Care providers, builders and makers across the Notts districts
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 8 council areas: Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, Rushcliffe, Nottingham.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Nottinghamshire share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction and building trades | 5,920 | 13.3% | 12.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 5,555 | 12.4% | 13.9% |
| Retail | 4,495 | 10.1% | 9.4% |
| Business support services | 3,275 | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Health and social care | 3,160 | 7.1% | 5.6% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 2,980 | 6.7% | 6.3% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 2,350 | 5.3% | 4.3% |
| Information and communication | 2,020 | 4.5% | 6.1% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 2,005 | 4.5% | 4.2% |
- 2.3xinsurance and pensions185 businesses
- 1.7xelectrical equipment75 businesses
- 1.7xrubber and plastics130 businesses
- 1.6xresidential care760 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
These numbers cover seven districts and the city of Nottingham, 44,765 business units in all. Health and social care makes up 7.1% of firms against 5.6% nationally, and residential care alone runs at 1.56 times the UK share, with 760 care home operators. Manufacturing is also above average, at 5.3% of businesses, with electrical equipment and plastics makers both at around 1.7 times the national rate.
Care homes are underwritten on occupancy, fee income and inspection ratings as well as the building, which is why they sit apart from standard owner-occupier lending.
How transport across the county of Nottingham shapes a premises decision
The M1 runs through the west of the county, linking Nottingham with Leicester, Leeds and London. The A1 follows much of the old Great North Road down the east side, bypassing Retford since 1961 and Newark-on-Trent since 1964. By rail, the Midland Main Line connects London and Sheffield via Nottingham, the Robin Hood Line runs from Nottingham to Worksop, and the East Coast Main Line serves Newark and Retford.
For a distribution, contracting or manufacturing business, being close to the M1 or A1 often decides which building it buys, and valuers recognise good access. For office and professional firms, the rail lines matter more. Either way, we look at whether the premises still suit the business in ten years, because that is roughly how long many owner-occupiers keep a loan before refinancing.
Nottinghamshire's rating list: offices and industrial units up
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, Rushcliffe, Nottingham. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse10,970properties on the rating listUp 14.9% since 2016Average rateable value £29,100factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices6,790properties on the rating listUp 18.3% since 2016Average rateable value £16,500offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail9,100properties on the rating listDown 0.9% since 2016Average rateable value £24,200shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial9,750properties on the rating listUp 13.1% since 2016Average rateable value £35,300pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Nottinghamshire estates including Colwick and Victoria Business Park
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Nottinghamshire, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- James Business ParkNottingham NG12 2JP
- St James Business ParkNottingham NG12 2QG
- St James’ Business ParkNottingham NG12 2QG
- Victoria Business ParkNetherfield, Nottingham NG4 2PA
- Colwick Industrial EstateNottingham NG4 2JT
- Carlton Business ParkCarlton, Nottingham NG4 3AA
- The Carlton Business CentreStation Rd, Carlton, Nottingham NG4 3AA
- Sabre Industrial ParkNetherfield, Nottingham NG4 2BG
- Colwick Quays Business ParkColwick, Nottingham NG4 2JY
- Unit 17 Colwick Business ParkColwick, Nottingham NG4 2BU
- Colwick Business ParkColwick, Nottingham NG4 2JR
- Calverton Business ParkCalverton, Nottingham NG14 6QL
Office entries across the county rose 18.3% to 6,790, and industrial premises 14.9% to 10,970. Shops edged down 0.9%. Industrial units average a rateable value of £29,100, offices £16,500. Growth in both categories gives a buyer more options than ten years ago, and gives a lender's valuer more local evidence to check a price against.
Commercial property loan terms and stamp duty in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands
Indicative owner-occupier pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Loans are typically 70 to 75% of the lower of price and valuation, up to 80% for strong cases, over 5 to 25 years, with arrangement fees of 1 to 2%. Security is a first legal charge registered at HM Land Registry, usually backed by directors' guarantees.
Stamp Duty Land Tax applies at HMRC's non-residential rates: nothing on the first £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above that, rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy. Illustrative example. A Worksop distributor buys a warehouse for £800,000. At 75% the loan is £600,000 and the deposit £200,000. SDLT is £2,000 plus £27,500, so £29,500, paid in cash at completion. More detail is in our stamp duty guide for commercial property.
Refinancing business premises in Nottinghamshire
Companies that already own their building ask us to move to a lender with better terms, to raise capital against the equity for expansion, or to replace a bridging loan with long-term debt. Indicative remortgage pricing is 6.0 to 8.0% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
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. For neighbouring counties, see our East Midlands overview.
Towns and areas we cover in Nottinghamshire
Nottingham
The county town and the East Midlands' largest economy, now a separate unitary authority. Owner-occupiers range from professional practices and creative firms in the city centre to science companies and light manufacturers. See our page on business mortgages in Nottingham.
Mansfield
The second-largest settlement in the county, in the Maun Valley on the Robin Hood Line. A market town with a regenerating centre and good access to the M1, it suits retailers, service businesses and industrial occupiers. More on our Mansfield commercial mortgages page.
Newark-on-Trent
An Anglo-Saxon market town at the crossing of the Fosse Way and the River Trent, now bypassed by the A1 and served by the East Coast Main Line. Its economy mixes food processing, engineering, distribution and an antiques trade, giving a wide spread of premises types.
Worksop
A market town in the north-west that grew quickly in the Industrial Revolution with canals, railways and coal. At the northern end of the Robin Hood Line and near the A1, it is a natural base for distribution and manufacturing firms buying warehouses and units.
Hucknall
A market town north of Nottingham and now the base of Nottinghamshire County Council, after the move from West Bridgford in 2025. Small industrial units, trade counters and high-street shops make up most owner-occupier purchases here.
Retford
A market town in the north of the county on the East Coast Main Line, bypassed by the A1 in 1961. Professional firms, shops and rural service businesses are the usual buyers, often of older town-centre buildings.
Beeston and West Bridgford
Two of the larger towns on Nottingham's edge that sit in the administrative county rather than the city. Both have busy local centres with offices, clinics, cafés and shops, popular with professional and healthcare businesses buying their first premises.
