Tyne and Wear is the North East's most urban county: 540 square kilometres, an estimated 1,178,389 people in 2024, and almost every settlement part of the Tyneside or Wearside conurbations. It holds two cities, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland, and towns including Gateshead, Jarrow, Wallsend, Washington, Whitley Bay and North and South Shields. Created in 1974 from parts of Northumberland and County Durham, it is governed by five metropolitan borough councils that work together through the North East Combined Authority.
We are Business Mortgages Broker. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies buying or refinancing the premises they trade from anywhere in the county. We are a broker, not a lender, and this is finance for a trading business's own premises, not a residential mortgage. A business mortgage is a long-term loan secured on the building the company occupies, repaid from its trading profits.
Premises finance across Tyneside and Wearside
The county's economy is wide. Sage Group, the accounting software company, is at Hazlerigg; Greggs, now over 1,500 shops, is based in Gosforth; and the Balliol Business Park in Longbenton contains Procter & Gamble research and business centres and an HMRC call centre. BAE Systems at Scotswood builds tanks such as the Challenger 2, and Siemens makes steam turbines at the CA Parsons Works in South Heaton.
South of the river, the Team Valley hosts De La Rue's largest banknote printing facility and Myson Radiators, and Komatsu UK builds construction equipment at Birtley. On Wearside, the Nissan factory between North Hylton and Washington is the largest car plant in the UK, with suppliers such as Calsonic Kansei on the Pennywell Industrial Estate and Gestamp UK nearby. Barbour makes outdoor clothing in Simonside, Jarrow, and SAFT makes lithium batteries in South Shields.
Around these names sit many smaller companies: component makers, engineers, printers, logistics firms, offices and trade counters. They are the owner-occupiers we arrange finance for, buying a unit, office or shop to stop paying rent and to own the asset.
Pubs, shops and care homes across Tyneside and Wearside
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 5 council areas: Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Tyne and Wear share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 4,635 | 12.3% | 13.8% |
| Retail | 4,400 | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| Construction and building trades | 4,270 | 11.3% | 12.4% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 3,415 | 9.1% | 6.2% |
| Business support services | 3,010 | 8% | 8.1% |
| Health and social care | 2,805 | 7.5% | 5.7% |
| Personal and other services | 1,985 | 5.3% | 4.1% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 1,790 | 4.8% | 4.3% |
| Information and communication | 1,715 | 4.6% | 6.2% |
- 1.9xgambling195 businesses
- 1.7xpostal and courier services755 businesses
- 1.5xelectrical equipment55 businesses
- 1.5xresidential care610 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 combine Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland: 37,700 business units, 250 of them large employers. Restaurants, cafes and pubs make up 9.1% of firms against 6.2% nationally. Health and social care is 7.5%, with residential care homes at 1.48 times the UK share, and retail is 11.7%.
Courier and postal businesses run at 1.7 times the national rate, 755 firms. Pub and care home owners are judged on trading as well as property, while courier depots are a more straightforward industrial case.
How an owner-occupier mortgage is structured in Tyne and Wear, England
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 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%. The lender takes a first legal charge registered at HM Land Registry and usually a personal guarantee from the directors.
The buyer pays Stamp Duty Land Tax at non-residential rates: 0% on the first £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). Our commercial property stamp duty guide covers leases and VAT.
Illustrative example. An automotive component supplier buys a £750,000 warehouse and workshop near Washington. At 75% loan to value the loan is £562,500 and the deposit £187,500. SDLT on that price is £27,000, so the company needs about £214,500 in cash before fees.
Industrial stock up 17.6% across the five Tyne and Wear boroughs
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse9,770properties on the rating listUp 17.6% since 2016Average rateable value £26,800factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices8,740properties on the rating listUp 11.9% since 2016Average rateable value £19,600offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail10,040properties on the rating listDown 2.4% since 2016Average rateable value £26,200shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial8,610properties on the rating listUp 7.9% since 2016Average rateable value £34,900pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Tyne and Wear estates, from Hawkes Road to Saltmeadows
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Tyne and Wear, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Foundry Lane Industrial EstateFoundry Ln, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1LH
- Hawkes Road Industrial EstateGateshead NE8 3DF
- Saltmeadows Industrial EstateGateshead NE8 3AH
- New Castle Business ParkNewcastle upon Tyne
- Newcastle Business ParkNewcastle upon Tyne NE4 7YA
- Chillingham Industrial EstateNewcastle upon Tyne NE6 2XX
- City West Business ParkNewcastle upon Tyne NE4 8JR
- Greenlane Baltic Road Industrial EstateGateshead NE10 0SB
- Benfield Business ParkNewcastle upon Tyne NE6 4NQ
- Dunston Industrial EstateDunston, Gateshead NE11 9JW
- Saltwell Business ParkLow Fell, Gateshead NE9 5BQ
- Gosforth Industrial EstateGosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1XD
Industrial units across Tyne and Wear rose from 8,310 to 9,770, up 17.6%, with an average rateable value of £26,800. Offices grew 11.9%. Shops fell 2.4% to 10,040. Growing industrial supply gives trade and logistics firms more to choose from, and refinancing at 6.0 to 8.0% is realistic where the business trades well and the unit has comparable evidence.
Business property finance on the Tyne-Wear estates and office parks
Named estates set the pattern of commercial property here. Cobalt Business Park at Wallsend is described as the largest office park in the UK and houses North Tyneside Council. Team Valley in Gateshead was purpose-built as a commercial estate. The MetroCentre at Dunston anchors retail on the south bank. In Sunderland, Doxford International Business Park took in service industries from the late 1980s.
Units on established estates are familiar security for lenders, which helps on loan to value. Where a company needs to move fast, for example to buy at auction or before a sale of its current building completes, short-term bridging for business premises can fill the gap, indicatively at 0.70 to 0.95% a month, subject to status, accounts and valuation, with a clear plan to refinance onto a term loan.
Refinancing premises in the five Tyne and Wear boroughs
Companies that already own their premises can remortgage to cut payments, extend the term or release equity for growth, at indicative pricing of 6.0 to 8.0% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Green belt runs through all five districts and keeps South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland apart, so new commercial land is concentrated within the built-up areas.
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.
Cities and towns across Tyne and Wear we cover
Newcastle upon Tyne
The regional capital on the north bank of the Tyne, with a city-centre economy built on offices, retail, education and nightlife around Eldon Square, Northumberland Street and Grey Street. Owner-occupiers range from professional firms buying period offices to restaurants, clinics and creative businesses on the Quayside and around the Grainger Market.
Sunderland
The port city at the mouth of the Wear, once known as the largest shipbuilding town in the world and now an automotive centre around Nissan. Component makers, engineers and service firms near the A19 and Doxford International Business Park are typical buyers, alongside city-centre businesses around the Bridges and Sunniside.
Gateshead
Gateshead faces Newcastle across the Tyne and contains the Team Valley Trading Estate, one of the larger purpose-built commercial estates in the UK, and the MetroCentre at Dunston. Industrial, trade and showroom units on the Team Valley are some of the most common premises purchases in the county.
South Shields
A coastal port town at the south side of the Tyne's mouth, relying largely on service industries and tourism, with the Port of Tyne, manufacturing and ship repair still significant. Seafront hospitality, town-centre shops and marine engineering units make up much of the owner-occupied stock.
North Shields
On the north bank opposite South Shields, North Shields grew from a fishing village and keeps its Fish Quay. Retail parks at Royal Quays and Silverlink sit alongside the Silverlink Business Park, so buyers range from independent food and drink businesses to office and trade occupiers.
Washington
Washington sits beside the Nissan plant and was where Smith Electric Vehicles originated. Its employment land suits automotive suppliers, distribution firms and engineering companies that want to own a modern unit close to the A1 and A19 with the car plant on the doorstep.
Wallsend
Wallsend is home to Cobalt Business Park and to Soil Machine Dynamics, which builds remotely operated underwater vehicles on the Tyne. Swan Hunter built ships here until 2006 and still designs them. Subsea, marine and office-based firms are typical owner-occupiers in the town.
Jarrow and Hebburn
On the south bank between Gateshead and South Shields, Jarrow is home to the J. Barbour & Sons factory at Simonside. Smaller manufacturers, workshops and trade businesses in Jarrow and neighbouring Hebburn buy units on the south bank close to the river and the wider Tyneside road network.
