Cambridgeshire is a ceremonial county in East Anglia, bordered by Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Wikipedia gives an estimated population of 906,814 in 2022. The city of Peterborough, in the north-west, is the largest settlement, and the city of Cambridge lies in the south; the rest is rural, with Ely in the east, Wisbech in the north-east and St Neots and Huntingdon in the west. The north and east are dominated by the Fens, flat drained marshland where Holme Fen, at 2.75 metres below sea level, is the UK's lowest point.
We are a broker. We arrange business mortgages for trading companies buying or refinancing the premises they work from anywhere in Cambridgeshire, and we never lend ourselves. This is commercial finance on a business's own building, not a residential mortgage, and each case goes to the lenders whose criteria suit it.
From Silicon Fen to the farms: which buildings do Cambs companies buy with an owner-occupier mortgage?
Wikipedia describes most of Cambridgeshire as agricultural, but close to Cambridge sits the Silicon Fen cluster of electronics, computing and biotechnology companies, with ARM based in Cherry Hinton. AWG plc is headquartered in Huntingdon, the RAF has several stations around Huntingdon and St Ives, and RAF Alconbury, north of Huntingdon, is being reorganised as a focus for intelligence operations. The inland Port of Wisbech on the River Nene is the county's only remaining port.
That produces two very different sets of owner-occupiers. In and around Cambridge, technology firms, consultancies and professional practices buy offices and research space. Across the Fens and in the market towns, food producers, agricultural engineers, hauliers and trade suppliers buy workshops, packhouses, cold stores and yards. Our business mortgages page explains how lenders assess a company buying its own premises.
Research labs, electronics and hauliers across Cambs and Peterborough
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 6 council areas: Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire, Peterborough.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Cambridgeshire share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 6,610 | 15.1% | 13.9% |
| Construction and building trades | 5,310 | 12.2% | 12.6% |
| Retail | 3,445 | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| Business support services | 3,290 | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| Information and communication | 2,860 | 6.6% | 6.2% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 2,530 | 5.8% | 4.2% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 2,465 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| Health and social care | 2,360 | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 2,070 | 4.7% | 4.2% |
- 6.0xscientific research550 businesses
- 2.4xelectronics and optical equipment180 businesses
- 1.6xmotor vehicles and parts80 businesses
- 1.6xlibraries, museums and heritage125 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have a business profile unlike most counties. Scientific research and development runs at 6.05 times the UK share, and computer and electronics manufacturers at 2.42 times, reflecting the cluster around Cambridge. Professional, scientific and technical firms make up 15.1% of the 43,660 business units. Further north, road haulage runs at 1.53 times the national rate, driven by Peterborough and the Fens.
A lab or tech business buying its building may need a lender comfortable with specialist fit-out, while a haulier's yard is valued much more simply.
Green belt, fenland and flood: what shapes commercial property loans in the County of Cambridge?
The Cambridge Green Belt, first drawn up in the 1950s, reaches places such as Waterbeach, Lode, Duxford and the Abingtons, a few miles from the city. It restricts new building around the city, so a company wanting to own near Cambridge is usually buying an existing office or unit rather than a new one. A lender will still value any building on its own merits and its realistic alternative use.
In the north and east, low-lying fenland is kept dry by drainage ditches and dykes. Valuers will consider flood risk on fen sites, and specialist agricultural buildings can attract a more cautious loan to value than a standard industrial unit. The three principal rivers, the Nene, the Great Ouse and the Cam, run through Peterborough, past Huntingdon and Ely, and through Cambridge respectively.
Cambridgeshire offices and specialist buildings on the rise
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire, Peterborough. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse8,050properties on the rating listUp 10.4% since 2016Average rateable value £41,100factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices6,720properties on the rating listUp 16.1% since 2016Average rateable value £43,800offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail5,220properties on the rating listDown 0.8% since 2016Average rateable value £33,700shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial7,820properties on the rating listUp 17.2% since 2016Average rateable value £56,400pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Office entries across the six council areas rose 16.1% to 6,720, with a high average rateable value of £43,800. The other category, which includes labs, leisure and specialist buildings, grew 17.2% to 7,820. Shops slipped 0.8%. Values like that mean a purchase here often means a larger loan and more scrutiny of rental evidence by the valuer.
What does business property finance in Cambridgeshire, England cost up front?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically advance 70 to 75% of the purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower, and up to 80% for strong cases. Indicative owner-occupier pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year over terms of 5 to 25 years, with arrangement fees usually 1 to 2%, all subject to status, accounts and valuation. The county is in England, so HMRC's Stamp Duty Land Tax applies: 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. An engineering company buys a freehold light industrial unit near Huntingdon for £800,000. A 75% loan is £600,000 and the deposit £200,000. SDLT on £800,000 is £29,500, so the business needs about £229,500 in cash before legal and valuation fees. Our guide to stamp duty on commercial property shows how the slices add up.
Planning and security when refinancing premises in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
For local government the county has a non-metropolitan county council with five districts, plus the unitary authority area of Peterborough; their councils work together through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. Whichever council covers your site holds its planning history, and the lender's solicitor will confirm the lawful use before releasing funds. The lender registers a first legal charge at HM Land Registry, often alongside a debenture or director guarantees.
Owners who already hold their premises can remortgage business premises to raise capital for expansion or replace an expiring facility, at indicative rates of 6.0 to 8.0%, 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. Neighbouring counties appear on our East of England business mortgages page.
Premises finance in Cambridgeshire's cities and towns
Cambridge
The county town and heart of Silicon Fen, home to the university, science parks and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Owner-occupiers here are mainly technology companies, consultancies and professional practices buying offices and research space, usually in existing buildings because the green belt restricts new ones.
Peterborough
The county's largest settlement, on the River Nene and the East Coast Main Line, with an economy built on financial services and distribution. Distribution and logistics firms buy warehouses and yards, while service businesses look for offices and shops in the city centre around Cathedral Square.
Ely
A cathedral city in the east of the county, built on one of the few areas of higher ground in the Fens and standing on the Great Ouse. Its business base of shops, cafes, professional firms and agricultural suppliers makes freehold shops, offices and small industrial units the usual purchases.
Wisbech
In the north-east of the county, Wisbech is home to the inland port on the River Nene, the only port left in Cambridgeshire. Food producers, packers, hauliers and agricultural businesses serving the surrounding Fens buy warehouses, cold stores and yards here.
Huntingdon and Alconbury
Huntingdon, in the west on the Great Ouse, is the base of AWG plc and close to several RAF stations, with RAF Alconbury three miles to the north. Contractors, engineering firms and service businesses here look for offices and industrial units with good road links.
St Neots
A market town in the west of the county near the Bedfordshire border, where the Great Ouse leaves Bedfordshire. Its owner-occupiers include trade counters, light manufacturers, retailers and professional practices buying shops, offices and units on the edge of town.
