A business mortgage is a long-term loan secured on the premises a trading company occupies, and County Durham has an unusually wide range of them: manufacturing plants on named estates in Consett, Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe and Peterlee, a cathedral city full of listed shops, and the port and engineering towns of the Tees. The ceremonial county covers 2,676 square kilometres and had an estimated 894,025 people in 2024. Darlington is its largest settlement.
We are Business Mortgages Broker, and we arrange owner-occupier finance for limited companies buying or refinancing the buildings they trade from anywhere in the county. We are a broker, not a lender. This is finance for a trading business's premises, not a residential mortgage. For local government the county splits into four unitary areas: County Durham, whose council belongs to the North East Combined Authority, and Darlington, Hartlepool and part of Stockton-on-Tees, whose councils belong to the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Which council you deal with on planning depends on where the building is.
Premises finance for County Durham's manufacturing estates
Few counties name so many working estates. KP Snacks makes Phileas Fogg snacks on the Number One Industrial Estate in Consett, with CAV Aerospace nearby. Thorn Lighting is on the Green Lane Industrial Estate at Spennymoor. RF Micro Devices has made electronic wafers on the Heighington Lane Business Park at Newton Aycliffe since 2007, and Husqvarna-Flymo is on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, where the world's first hover mower was built in 1965. NSK makes ball bearings on the North West Industrial Estate at Peterlee, and Mecaplast produces automotive components on the Low Hills Industrial Estate at Easington Village.
Elsewhere, the Explorer Group builds Elddis caravans at Delves, Schmitz Cargobull UK, the country's biggest trailer maker, is at Harelaw, Esh Group is based at Bowburn and GlaxoSmithKline makes pharmaceuticals at Barnard Castle. Around those names are owner-managed engineers, fabricators, toolmakers and logistics firms. When one of them buys the unit it rents, the business gains an asset and fixes a large part of its cost base. Our owner-occupier mortgages page explains how lenders assess that.
Engineers, metalworkers and caterers across Durham and the Tees Valley
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 4 council areas: County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | County Durham share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction and building trades | 4,465 | 13.8% | 12.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 3,920 | 12.1% | 13.9% |
| Retail | 3,230 | 10% | 9.4% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 2,510 | 7.7% | 6.2% |
| Business support services | 2,390 | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| Health and social care | 2,125 | 6.6% | 5.7% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 1,690 | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Farming, forestry and fishing | 1,650 | 5.1% | 4.5% |
| Personal and other services | 1,475 | 4.6% | 4.1% |
- 2.3xsteel and basic metals45 businesses
- 2.0xpublic administration495 businesses
- 1.9xcivil engineering480 businesses
- 1.6xarchitecture and engineering1,390 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
These figures cover County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees together, 32,435 business units in all. Manufacturing and engineering make up 5.2% against 4.3% nationally, and basic metal production runs at 2.3 times the UK share. Civil engineering is close to double the national rate, and architectural and engineering consultancies number 1,390.
Restaurants, cafes and pubs account for 7.7% of local firms, above the UK's 6.2%. That mix gives lenders two kinds of borrower: engineers buying plain industrial units with plenty of comparable evidence, and hospitality operators whose loans are judged on trading.
How an owner-occupier mortgage works in Durham County, England
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically advance 70 to 75% of the purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower, rising to 80% for strong cases. Indicative pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation, over 5 to 25 years with arrangement fees typically 1 to 2%. Security is a first legal charge registered at HM Land Registry.
Stamp Duty Land Tax applies at the non-residential rates: 0% to £150,000, 2% on the portion between £150,001 and £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 (HMRC, rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy). Our guide to commercial stamp duty covers leases, VAT and mixed-use property.
Illustrative example. An engineering company buys a £1,000,000 factory on an Aycliffe estate. A 75% loan is £750,000, the deposit £250,000, and SDLT comes to £39,500, so about £289,500 in cash is needed before fees.
Industrial units up 10% across the Durham and Tees Valley boroughs
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse7,930properties on the rating listUp 10% since 2016Average rateable value £31,200factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices5,090properties on the rating listUp 17% since 2016Average rateable value £12,000offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail7,730properties on the rating listDown 1.4% since 2016Average rateable value £21,700shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial8,240properties on the rating listUp 11.7% since 2016Average rateable value £30,400pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
County Durham's working estates, from Evenwood to South Church
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near County Durham, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Evenwood Industrial EstateEvenwood, Bishop Auckland DL14 9SF
- Castle Close Industrial EstateCrook DL15 8LU
- Randolph Industrial EstateBishop Auckland DL14 9SJ
- Pickwick Industrial EstateSt Helen Auckland, Bishop Auckland DL14 9EL
- St Helens Auckland Industrial EstateMaude Terrace, St Helen Auckland, Bishop Auckland DL14 9AB
- South Church Enterprise ParkBishop Auckland DL14 6XP
- Low Willington Industrial EstateCrook DL15 0FB
- Westerton Industrial EstateBishop Auckland DL14 8AH
- Dabble Duck Industrial EstateShildon DL4 2QN
- Shildon Business CentreShildon DL4 2RF
- Argyle Business ParkBishop Auckland DL14 8NR
- Agl Business ParkCoundon, Bishop Auckland DL14 8NR
Across the four council areas, industrial stock grew 10%, from 7,210 to 7,930 units, at an average rateable value of £31,200. Offices rose 17% to 5,090 but average just £12,000, so most are small. Shops fell 1.4%. Growing industrial supply gives engineering and trade firms more choice, and modest values keep many deals within reach of smaller companies.
Commercial property loans in the Tees Valley boroughs
The south-east of the county looks to the Tees. Stockton-on-Tees is part of the Teesside conurbation, which extends into North Yorkshire; Hartlepool is an industrial port on the coast; and Darlington, on the East Coast Main Line and A1(M), has a large finance, public sector and engineering base. Premises here run from port-side engineering workshops and chemical-sector suppliers to town-centre offices and retail.
Hospitality has a place too. Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle form a World Heritage Site, the coast is a site of special scientific interest, and the North Pennines draw visitors to Teesdale and Weardale. Hotels, pubs and guest houses are trading-business cases, indicatively 7.0 to 9.0% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
Refinancing premises across the County of Durham
Companies that already own their building can remortgage to reduce payments, extend the term or release equity for plant and expansion, at indicative pricing of 6.0 to 8.0% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Our page on remortgaging business premises explains the process.
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. See our North East England page for the wider region.
Towns and areas across County Durham we cover
Durham
The county town and cathedral city on a meander of the River Wear, home to Durham University and the headquarters of Durham County Council. Owner-occupiers range from shops and restaurants around the Market Place to professional firms and service businesses, with Northumbrian Water at nearby Pity Me and Esh Group at Bowburn.
Darlington
The county's largest settlement, a market town on the River Skerne with finance and manufacturing at the core of its economy. Industrial estates at Faverdale, North Road, Cleveland Trading Estate and Morton Park give companies a choice of units close to the A1(M) and the East Coast Main Line.
Hartlepool
An industrial port town on the south-east coast whose economy is still tied to the sea, with Hartlepool Dock run by PD Ports, steel tube manufacturing, chemicals and offshore wind activity. Marine engineers, fabricators and suppliers to the energy sector are typical buyers of workshops and yards.
Stockton-on-Tees
A market town on the north bank of the Tees, part of Teesside, with a long history of shipbuilding, heavy engineering and chemicals. Teesdale Business Park on the south bank brought offices and call centres, and Portrack Lane east of the centre is a retail zone for home furnishings and DIY.
Consett
In the north-west of the county, Consett's Number One Industrial Estate is where KP Snacks makes Phileas Fogg snacks, with CAV Aerospace nearby making ice protection systems for aircraft. Food producers, engineers and component makers here are typical candidates for buying their own factory or workshop.
Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe's Aycliffe Industrial Estate and Heighington Lane Business Park host electronics, automotive axle and garden equipment makers. It is one of the county's main locations for larger industrial units, which suits established manufacturers buying sizeable premises with a business mortgage rather than renewing a lease.
Peterlee
On the coastal side of the county, Peterlee has the North West Industrial Estate, home to NSK's ball bearing plant and Gliderol garage doors, and Walkers Crisps has a site to the north. Automotive parts are made at the Low Hills Industrial Estate in Easington Village nearby.
Barnard Castle
The largest town in the west of the county, at the gateway to Teesdale and the North Pennines. GlaxoSmithKline makes pharmaceuticals here, while independent shops, hospitality and rural service businesses fill the town centre. Visitor-led trade means lenders look carefully at year-round accounts.
