West Sussex is a ceremonial county in South East England, bordered by Surrey, East Sussex, Hampshire and the English Channel. Wikipedia gives it an estimated population of 925,000 in 2026. The South Downs cut it in two: north of the chalk sit the rural Weald, Crawley and Horsham; south of it a narrow coastal plain carries Worthing, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, widening westward to Chichester and its harbour. Gatwick Airport, the UK's second-busiest by passenger traffic, sits at the county's north-eastern tip.
We are a broker, not a lender. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies that want to buy or refinance the premises they trade from anywhere in West Sussex. That means a loan secured on a commercial building your company occupies, not a residential mortgage on a home. We review your accounts and the property, then approach the lenders whose criteria fit the deal.
Which premises do companies in the West Sussex area buy with premises finance?
The county's big names point to the range. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a substantial employer near Chichester, Nestlé runs its UK headquarters from Crawley, Thales Group has a presence here, and Gatwick, with airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, supports a large web of direct and indirect jobs. Behind them sit the suppliers, engineers, freight forwarders, caterers and service firms that want an industrial unit or office of their own.
The land matters too. Viticulture is part of the economy, with wineries producing mainly sparkling wine, and the Weald has a long farming history. A winery buying its own production building, or a farm shop and café buying a roadside site, is a trading business buying premises, and lenders assess it that way. Coastal towns add shops, salons, clinics and hospitality. Our owner-occupier mortgages page explains how lenders look at a company buying the building it uses.
Electronics, vets and landscape firms across West Sussex
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units. Covers 7 council areas: Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | West Sussex share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 6,490 | 15% | 13.9% |
| Construction and building trades | 6,080 | 14.1% | 12.5% |
| Business support services | 3,990 | 9.3% | 8.2% |
| Retail | 3,655 | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| Information and communication | 2,875 | 6.7% | 6.2% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 2,440 | 5.7% | 6.3% |
| Health and social care | 2,330 | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 1,895 | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Property | 1,795 | 4.2% | 4.5% |
- 1.7xsewerage40 businesses
- 1.7xelectronics and optical equipment125 businesses
- 1.5xforestry105 businesses
- 1.4xveterinary practices140 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
West Sussex's seven council areas hold 43,165 business units. The mix is broad, but a few trades stand out: electronics manufacturing at 1.7 times the UK share, veterinary practices at 1.45 times and building and landscape services, 1,400 firms, at 1.32 times. Construction makes up 14.1% of businesses. A veterinary practice buying its surgery is a strong owner-occupier case, with steady income and a building suited to the purpose. Forestry firms also run at 1.5 times the national rate, reflecting the county's rural north.
How do the Downs, the coast and Gatwick shape owner-occupier mortgages in W Sussex?
Geography decides where commercial stock sits. The South Downs run east to west across the whole county, broken only by the Arun and Adur valleys, so most industrial and office space clusters either in the north-east around Crawley and Gatwick or along the coastal strip. Between the two lies largely rural country, where premises tend to be converted barns, yards and small workshops.
Lenders care about this because a valuer asks how easily a building could be sold or let if the borrower moved on. A modern unit near the airport or on the coastal plain usually has a deep pool of potential occupiers. A rural conversion can be just as fundable but may draw a more cautious loan to value, so the deposit should allow for it. Buildings in or near the national park can also carry planning conditions that the lender's solicitor will want to see.
West Sussex rated premises since 2016
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Totals for Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing. 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 £37,200factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices5,290properties on the rating listUp 17% since 2016Average rateable value £21,500offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail6,570properties on the rating listDown 1.6% since 2016Average rateable value £29,300shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial9,640properties on the rating listUp 23.1% since 2016Average rateable value £34,900pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
West Sussex estates, from Chantry to The Vinery
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near West Sussex, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Chantry Industrial EstatePulborough RH20 4AD
- Station Approach Industrial Estate41 Station Approach, Pulborough RH20 1AQ
- The Rock Business ParkPulborough RH20 3GR
- The Vinery Industrial EstateArundel BN18 9PY
- Littlehampton Retail ParkWick, Littlehampton BN17 6LS
- Brookside Business ParkRustington, Littlehampton BN16 3LP
- Gillmans Industrial EstateBillingshurst RH14 9EZ
- Hillview Business ParkLittlehampton Rd, Ferring, Worthing BN12 6PG
- Petworth Industrial EstatePetworth GU28 9NR
- Lineside Industrial EstateWick, Littlehampton BN17 7HD
- Rosier Business ParkBillingshurst RH14 9DE
- Ford Lane Business ParkArundel BN18 0UZ
The county's rating list grew 12.2% to 29,510 premises. Industrial units rose 10.4% to 8,050, offices 17% and other property 23.1%, while shops fell 1.6%. Industrial units average £37,200 in rateable value, against £21,500 for an office. A broad pool of units across the coast and the Gatwick area gives a valuer plenty of comparable evidence.
What does a commercial property loan in West Sussex, UK cost up front?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically advance 70 to 75% of the lower of price and valuation, and up to 80% for strong cases. Indicative pricing runs at 6.0 to 7.5% a year for owner-occupiers and 7.0 to 9.0% for trading businesses such as hotels and pubs, over terms of 5 to 25 years, with arrangement fees usually 1 to 2%, all subject to status, accounts and valuation.
As the county is in England, Stamp Duty Land Tax applies. HMRC's non-residential bands are 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. A precision engineering company buys a freehold unit for £450,000. A 75% loan is £337,500, so the deposit is £112,500. SDLT comes to £12,000, which takes the cash the company needs to £124,500 before legal and valuation fees. Our guide to stamp duty on commercial property shows the bands in full.
Who checks planning and title for business property finance in the county of West Sussex?
For local government West Sussex is a non-metropolitan county with seven districts, and the district or borough council where your building stands holds its planning history. A lender's solicitor will confirm the current use is lawful, and any change of use has consent, before funds are released. The lender then registers a first legal charge at HM Land Registry, usually alongside a debenture or personal guarantees from the directors.
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. For neighbouring counties, see our South East business mortgages page.
Premises finance in West Sussex towns
Crawley
The county's largest settlement is a post-war new town that later took in Gatwick Airport. Its Manor Royal industrial estate was laid out for a mix of manufacturers rather than one dominant firm, and Nestlé has its UK headquarters here. Aviation services, logistics, engineering and office occupiers buy units and buildings across the town.
Worthing
A seaside town at the foot of the Downs and part of the Brighton and Hove built-up area. Its economy leans on services, especially financial services, with employers such as GSK and Southern Water. Owner-occupiers here range from professional practices buying town-centre offices to manufacturers taking units on the edge of the borough.
Chichester
The county's only city sits in the south-west near Chichester Harbour, with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars a substantial employer nearby. Tourism, marine businesses and public-sector work shape demand. Buyers here include marina and boatyard firms, hospitality businesses and practices buying listed buildings inside the historic centre.
Horsham
A market town in the north-east of the county, inland from the Downs and surrounded by largely rural country. Firms here are often professional, retail and light industrial businesses, and the surrounding villages add farm diversification projects, from workshops in converted barns to shops and cafés on working farms.
Bognor Regis
One of the largest coastal settlements, Bognor Regis often records the highest sunshine totals on mainland England, which supports a strong visitor trade. Companies buying here are often hospitality, leisure and retail operators, and lenders will price an operating business such as a hotel on its trading figures as well as the bricks.
Littlehampton
A coastal town on the River Arun and part of the wider Brighton and Hove built-up area. Its premises mix runs from high-street shops and cafés to industrial and marine units near the river, and owner-occupiers here are typically small manufacturers, trade businesses and local retailers.
