Lancashire is a ceremonial county in North West England with an estimated population of 1,601,645 in 2024 and an area of 3,079 square kilometres. Preston, its largest settlement, and Blackburn lie near the centre, Burnley is in the east, Blackpool on the western coast and Lancaster in the north. The county industrialised rapidly in the Industrial Revolution on cotton and coal, and it still makes things: aircraft, trucks, paint, pies, beer, bricks and boilers.
A business mortgage is a long-term loan secured on the building a trading company occupies. We broker that finance for Lancashire firms buying or refinancing their own premises: we prepare the case, approach the lenders whose criteria fit and stay with it to completion. We never lend ourselves, and this is not a residential mortgage. Lancashire is one of the counties in our North West coverage.
Premises finance around the Lancashire Enterprise Zone at Warton and Samlesbury
As of 2013 the largest private sector industry in the county was defence, led by BAE Systems' Military Air Solutions division at Warton on the Fylde coast, with a manufacturing site at Samlesbury. Other defence firms include BAE Systems Global Combat Systems in Chorley, Ultra Electronics in Fulwood and Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick. The Lancashire Enterprise Zone launched in April 2012 on the BAE airfields at Warton, which covers 72 hectares, and Samlesbury, at 74 hectares; the first businesses moved in at Warton in March 2015. A further enterprise zone was announced that month at Blackpool Airport.
Precision engineers, composite specialists, test houses and tooling firms that serve these sites are typical owner-occupier buyers. For a modern industrial unit, indicative pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year at 70 to 75% loan to value, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Our page on owner-occupier mortgages sets out what lenders check.
Lancashire's manufacturers: furniture, plastics, paper and textiles
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 14 council areas: Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Lancashire share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction and building trades | 7,975 | 12.4% | 12.5% |
| Retail | 7,225 | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 7,035 | 11% | 13.9% |
| Business support services | 4,870 | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 4,360 | 6.8% | 6.2% |
| Health and social care | 4,170 | 6.5% | 5.7% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 3,695 | 5.8% | 4.3% |
| Wholesale | 3,015 | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Farming, forestry and fishing | 2,950 | 4.6% | 4.5% |
- 2.0xpaper and packaging60 businesses
- 1.7xfurniture making230 businesses
- 1.7xrubber and plastics190 businesses
- 1.7xtextile manufacturing150 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 all 14 Lancashire council areas, including Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool: 64,225 business units. Manufacturing and engineering make up 5.8% against 4.3% nationally. Paper manufacturers run at 2.03 times the UK share, furniture makers at 1.74 times, rubber and plastics at 1.7 times and textiles at 1.69 times.
Manufacturers buying factory space are assessed on contracts, margins and how specialist the building is. Lenders look at environmental risk on older industrial sites, and at whether the building could be relet if the business moved on.
Commercial property loans for manufacturers in the Red Rose County
Beyond defence, the county's manufacturing base is broad. Leyland Trucks builds the DAF range in Leyland, where Dr. Oetker also makes frozen pizza. Baxi has a large heating equipment site in Bamber Bridge, Crown Paints is based in Darwen, Hanson runs the Accrington brick works, Holland's Pies bakes in Baxenden, Thwaites has brewed in Blackburn since 1807 and Fisherman's Friend is made in Fleetwood. Westinghouse operates the Springfields nuclear fuel plant at Salwick, and Heysham has a nuclear power station.
Each of those employers draws on local suppliers, hauliers and maintenance contractors, and many of them would rather own a yard or factory than renew a lease. Lenders like a manufacturer with long trading history and diverse customers; they are more careful with a single-customer supplier or a specialist building that would be hard to re-let. Older mill buildings in East Lancashire can value well below their size suggests, so the loan is sized on the valuation, not the floor area.
Lancashire's industrial stock up 33.6% since 2016
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse21,640properties on the rating listUp 33.6% since 2016Average rateable value £19,600factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices9,520properties on the rating listUp 8.7% since 2016Average rateable value £11,800offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail16,400properties on the rating listUp 0.6% since 2016Average rateable value £17,500shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial15,710properties on the rating listUp 8.6% since 2016Average rateable value £30,400pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Lancashire's estates, from Red Scar to Shay Lane
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Lancashire, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Roman Way Industrial EstatePreston PR2 5AQ
- Shay Lane Industrial EstateLongridge, Preston PR3 3BT
- Chapel Hill Industrial EstatePreston PR3 3BU
- Rough Hey Road Industrial EstateGrimsargh, Preston PR2 5AR
- Red Scar Industrial EstatePreston PR2 5BW
- Preston Business ParkRibbleton, Preston PR2 5BL
- Red Scar Business ParkRibbleton, Preston PR2 5ND
- Industrial ParkPreston PR2 5BQ
- Fairfield Business ParkLongsight Rd, Blackburn BB2 7HQ
- Hawkshaw Business ParkBlackburn BB2 7JA
- Durton Lane Business ParkPreston PR3 5LR
- Deepdale Mill Industrial EstatePreston PR1 5BY
Across Lancashire, industrial stock grew from 16,200 to 21,640 units, up 33.6%, with an average rateable value of £19,600. Shops rose 0.6%, and offices 8.7%. Total stock is up 13.5%. Growth on this scale gives manufacturers far more choice when buying, and modest average values keep many deals within reach of smaller firms.
Buying your business property in the County Palatine of Lancaster: tax and planning
For local government the county has twelve districts under Lancashire County Council plus two unitary areas, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool, all collaborating through the Lancashire Combined County Authority. Planning goes to the district council for the site, or to the unitary council in those two areas. A purchase pays Stamp Duty Land Tax, and the lender takes a legal charge registered at HM Land Registry.
Illustrative example. A food manufacturer buys a freehold factory for £600,000. A 75% loan is £450,000, so the deposit is £150,000. SDLT at HMRC's non-residential rates as at October 2026 (0% to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000, 5% above £250,000) comes to £19,500. Our commercial stamp duty guide compares the English, Scottish and Welsh taxes.
Refinancing premises along Lancashire's M6, M55 and M65 corridors
The county economy relies heavily on the M6, which runs north to south past Lancaster and Preston. The M55 connects Preston to Blackpool, the M65 runs from Colne through Burnley, Accrington and Blackburn to Preston, the M61 and M66 head to Manchester and the M58 crosses the south of the county towards Liverpool. Premises close to these junctions usually have the best comparable evidence and the widest lender interest.
Owners who bought years ago often come to us when a fixed rate ends or when they want to raise capital against a building that is now worth more. Remortgaging business premises is indicatively priced at 6.0 to 8.0% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
Towns and areas we cover across Lancashire
Preston
The county's largest settlement and administrative centre sits at the meeting point of the M6, M55, M61 and M65, which makes it a base for haulage, distribution and offices. BAE's Warton and Samlesbury sites lie either side of the city, and its university campus adds demand for town-centre premises.
Blackpool
On the coast of the Fylde peninsula, Blackpool is one of the two unitary areas and home to an office of National Savings and Investments. Its premises are dominated by hotels, guest houses and leisure businesses, with industrial demand around the airport enterprise zone at the end of the M55.
Blackburn and Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is the county's other unitary area. Thwaites has brewed in Blackburn since 1807, and Crown Paints is based in Darwen. The M65 links both towns to Preston and Burnley, so trade counters, warehouses and manufacturing units with motorway access are the typical owner-occupier purchase.
Burnley
In the east of the county, Burnley sits on the M65 corridor towards Colne. It has retained a strong manufacturing and aerospace supply base, and industrial units on its business parks are what most local buyers are after. Older mill buildings nearby need careful valuation.
Lancaster and Heysham
The city of Lancaster lies in the north beside the M6, and the A683 runs from Heysham, with its nuclear power station, through Lancaster towards Kirkby Lonsdale. Offices, shops and university-related premises dominate the city, while Heysham adds port and energy-related industrial demand.
Chorley and Leyland
South of Preston, Leyland is home to Leyland Trucks and a Dr. Oetker pizza factory, and Chorley hosts BAE Systems Global Combat Systems. With the M6 and M61 close by, this is one of the county's busiest areas for manufacturing and logistics units, and Bamber Bridge adds Baxi's large heating equipment site.
Accrington
Accrington lies on the M65 between Blackburn and Burnley and is known for the brick works run by Hanson. Nearby Baxenden is home to Holland's Pies. Typical buyers are manufacturers and trade suppliers wanting a freehold unit close to the motorway.
Fleetwood and the Fylde coast
At the end of the A585 from Kirkham, Fleetwood is where Fisherman's Friend is made, while the Foulnaze cockle fishery is off Lytham. The flat Fylde plain is otherwise largely rural and devoted to vegetable crops, so food, farm supply and coastal hospitality businesses make up much of the demand.
