The London Borough of Southwark is an Inner London borough in South London, joined by bridges across the Thames to the City of London and Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 by amalgamating three smaller council areas. Its stretch of the South Bank holds London Bridge station, The Shard, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market, and its major districts include Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Peckham, Camberwell and Dulwich.
We are a broker and never lend. We arrange business mortgages for trading companies buying or refinancing the premises they work from anywhere in Southwark. This is commercial finance secured on your company's building, not a residential mortgage. We study your company's figures and the building, then present the case to the lenders whose criteria fit a Southwark purchase.
What premises do businesses in Southwark, South London buy with owner-occupier finance?
The north of the borough, opposite the Square Mile, holds the More London and London Bridge City developments, home to professional firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. The Financial Times has its head office on Southwark Bridge Road. Near Tower Bridge, old warehouses at Butler's Wharf and Hay's Wharf have been converted to mixed uses, and the Oxo Tower hosts restaurants and shops. Smaller agencies, architects, consultancies and food businesses buy space in these converted buildings.
Further south, Southwark is a borough of high streets and trade. There are major retail concentrations at Surrey Quays, Old Kent Road, Elephant and Castle and Walworth Road, and central Peckham. Independent retailers, restaurants, wholesalers and trade counters make up much of our enquiry base. Our page on owner-occupier mortgages explains how a lender assesses a company buying the property it trades from.
Southwark's agencies, studios and bigger employers
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Southwark share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 4,125 | 21.4% | 13.9% |
| Information and communication | 2,250 | 11.7% | 6.2% |
| Business support services | 2,250 | 11.7% | 8.1% |
| Retail | 1,600 | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 1,430 | 7.4% | 6.2% |
| Construction and building trades | 1,050 | 5.5% | 12.5% |
| Arts, sport and leisure | 1,000 | 5.2% | 3% |
| Health and social care | 990 | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| Property | 870 | 4.5% | 4.4% |
- 3.5xcreative and performing arts730 businesses
- 3.2xfilm, TV and music production710 businesses
- 3.1xadvertising and market research485 businesses
- 2.8xpublishing215 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Southwark is not only a borough of sole traders: 80% of its 19,270 businesses are micro, with 705 medium and 155 large employers. Business support services make up 11.7% against 8.1% nationally. The creative trades are exceptional, with arts and entertainment at 3.51 times the UK share and advertising at 3.12 times.
A growing agency moving from leased space in Bermondsey to a building of its own is a common owner-occupier case. Lenders will want to see contract income and margins, and how much of the building the business will occupy itself.
How do Opportunity Areas affect a commercial property loan in the Borough of Southwark?
The Mayor of London's London Plan designates three Opportunity Areas in Southwark: Elephant and Castle, Canada Water and Old Kent Road. Each has capacity for significant economic development, which brings both opportunity and risk for owner-occupiers. Values can rise with regeneration, but older commercial buildings in these areas may be earmarked for redevelopment, and a lender will want to know your plans and the building's lawful use.
Transport links help. The Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines run through the borough, with stations including London Bridge, Borough, Southwark, Bermondsey, Canada Water and Elephant and Castle. The A2 along Old Kent Road is London's main artery towards Kent, which suits trade and distribution businesses that need road access.
Bankside to Peckham: Southwark offices up 42.2%
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse2,240properties on the rating listDown 4.7% since 2016Average rateable value £32,900factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices4,920properties on the rating listUp 42.2% since 2016Average rateable value £93,400offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail3,050properties on the rating listUp 4.1% since 2016Average rateable value £29,900shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial2,570properties on the rating listUp 13.2% since 2016Average rateable value £74,000pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Southwark's trading estates, from Goose Green to Copeland Park
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Southwark, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- KCH Business ParkLondon SE5 9NU
- Goose Green Trading EstateLondon SE22 9BN
- Copeland Park Industrial EstateLondon
- Hardess Street Industrial EstateLondon SE24 0HN
- Mahatma Gandhi Industrial EstateLondon SE24 0JF
- Higg Industrial EstateLondon SE24 0AU
- Stone Trading EstateMilkwood Rd, London SE24 0JU
- Chartwell Business ParkLondon
- Horizon Industrial EstateLondon SE15 6SY
- Cantium Retail ParkLondon SE1 5BA
- Rich Industrial EstateLondon SE15 1JR
- Sandgate Street Industrial EstateLondon SE15 1LE
Southwark's office stock grew 42.2%, from 3,460 to 4,920, and the average rateable value is £93,400. Total stock is up 16.1%. Industrial units fell 4.7% to 2,240, at an average of £32,900. That mix means an office buyer has a deep market and plenty of comparable evidence, while a workshop buyer is chasing a shrinking supply.
What cash does buying commercial premises in Southwark, London need?
In Southwark, lenders active in owner-occupier lending generally fund 70 to 75% of whichever is lower of price and valuation, and up to 80% when the company's figures are strong. Indicative rates are 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation, over 5 to 25 years with fees of 1 to 2%. Stamp Duty Land Tax on non-residential property is 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 (HMRC; rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. A food wholesaler buys a freehold unit off the Old Kent Road for £900,000. A 75% loan is £675,000, leaving a deposit of £225,000. SDLT is £34,500, so the business needs about £259,500 before legal and valuation fees. Our stamp duty guide shows the full calculation.
Planning, conversions and security on premises finance in Southwark borough
Southwark London Borough Council is the planning authority. Many of the borough's commercial buildings have changed use over the years, from wharves to offices, from warehouses to restaurants, so a lender's solicitor will confirm the current lawful use before releasing funds. Shops with flats above are common in Peckham, Camberwell and Walworth and count as semi-commercial premises.
Southwark loans are secured by a first legal charge that the lender's solicitor registers at HM Land Registry, and a debenture or directors' guarantees are normal too. Commercial lending to a limited company is unregulated and falls outside the FCA's regulated mortgage perimeter. If a deal would be regulated by the FCA, for example lending to a sole trader or individual, or a building where the borrower or a close family member will live in part of it, we refer it to an appropriately authorised firm. Our London business mortgages page covers the other boroughs.
Business districts across Southwark
London Bridge and Bankside
The northern riverside holds More London, London Bridge City, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market. Professional firms, publishers and hospitality businesses dominate. Owner-occupiers here usually buy long leasehold office suites or restaurant units rather than whole buildings.
Bermondsey and Shad Thames
Converted warehouses at Butler's Wharf and Hay's Wharf near Tower Bridge house offices, studios, restaurants and shops. Bermondsey has a Jubilee line station and a mix of older industrial buildings used by food producers, makers and creative firms.
Elephant and Castle and Walworth
An Opportunity Area with a major retail concentration and Bakerloo and Northern line stations. Walworth Road is lined with independent shops, restaurants and services. Regeneration has brought new commercial units at the base of residential buildings.
Canada Water, Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays
The former Surrey Commercial Docks, including Greenland Dock and Baltic Quay, were redeveloped for homes in the 1980s and 1990s. Canada Water is now an Opportunity Area with retail at Surrey Quays. Retailers and service firms buy units here.
Old Kent Road
The A2 artery to Kent and a designated Opportunity Area, Old Kent Road has retail parks, trade counters, wholesalers and industrial units. Distribution, food and trade businesses that need loading and road access find most of their options here.
Peckham and Camberwell
Victorian suburbs with busy high streets. Central Peckham is a major retail concentration along the A202 by the town hall, and Camberwell has shops, restaurants and studios. Mixed-use buildings with flats above are the usual purchase.
Dulwich
The prosperous "village" in the far south of the borough, home to the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Its small high streets hold independent shops, cafes and professional offices, typically bought by established local firms.
