Cheltenham is a historic spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds, directly north-east of Gloucester. It became a health and holiday resort after mineral springs were found in 1716 and claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain. Its festivals, from literature and jazz to science and the Gold Cup at the March race meeting, bring visitors all year.
We are a broker. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies that want to buy or refinance the premises they trade from in Cheltenham, and we never lend ourselves. The loan is secured on a working business building, not a house. We review your accounts and the property, then approach the lenders whose criteria match.
Which premises do Cheltenham, Gloucestershire firms buy?
Tourism matters to a Regency spa town, but Wikipedia also records light industry in food processing, aerospace and electronics. GCHQ is here, and GE Aviation, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Kohler Mira, Douglas Equipment, UCAS, Chelsea Building Society and Endsleigh Insurance all have sites in and around the town. Superdry was founded in Cheltenham and is still based there, and a number of design agencies trade locally.
That mix produces two kinds of buyer. Professional, creative and service businesses want period or modern offices near the centre; engineering and electronics suppliers want clean light industrial units. Retail and hospitality operators, including the restaurants that draw diners to the town, buy shops and restaurant premises. Dental, veterinary and other practices are covered on our professional practice mortgages page.
Financial firms, publishers and energy businesses in Cheltenham
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Cheltenham share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 1,090 | 17.1% | 13.9% |
| Construction and building trades | 690 | 10.8% | 12.6% |
| Retail | 615 | 9.6% | 9.3% |
| Business support services | 575 | 9% | 8.1% |
| Information and communication | 505 | 7.9% | 6.1% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 465 | 7.3% | 6.2% |
| Health and social care | 445 | 7% | 5.6% |
| Property | 335 | 5.2% | 4.4% |
| Personal and other services | 270 | 4.2% | 4.1% |
- 3.2xenergy supply50 businesses
- 2.0xpublishing50 businesses
- 1.9xbanking and financial services115 businesses
- 1.8xtravel agencies and tour operators40 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Cheltenham's 6,410 business units lean towards finance and professional services. Finance and insurance makes up 3.6% of firms, 1.68 times the UK share, with financial services at 1.91 times. Energy supply firms run at 3.21 times and publishing at 1.96 times. Professional and technical services make up 17.1%. For a financial or professional firm buying its office, the loan is assessed on fee income and profit. Travel agencies are also above average.
How do Regency buildings affect owner-occupier finance in Cheltenham Spa?
Many central buildings are listed or sit in conservation areas, and that is no barrier to a loan. The valuer will, however, look hard at repair liabilities, fire safety in converted townhouses and whether the upper floors are commercial or residential. A shop or office with a flat above is semi-commercial; lenders typically go to 75% loan to value at indicative rates of 6.5 to 8.5%. See semi-commercial premises for how those deals are structured.
Location within the borough also counts. Cheltenham Spa station, known locally as Lansdown, sits on the Bristol to Birmingham main line with CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales services. Green belt runs along parts of the town's fringes towards Gloucester and Bishop's Cleeve, which limits new industrial land and keeps existing units in demand.
Cheltenham's offices down 6.2%
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 warehouse800properties on the rating listUp 1.3% since 2016Average rateable value £28,100factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices1,210properties on the rating listDown 6.2% since 2016Average rateable value £27,800offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail1,110properties on the rating listDown 4.3% since 2016Average rateable value £47,400shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial940properties on the rating listUp 20.5% since 2016Average rateable value £42,600pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Cheltenham estates, from Mead Park to The Bramery
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Cheltenham, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Mead Park Industrial EstateCheltenham GL53 7EF
- Churchill Industrial EstateCheltenham GL53 7FD
- St George'S Business ParkCheltenham GL51 8EL
- Rockfield Business ParkLeckhampton, Cheltenham GL53 0AN
- The Bramery Business ParkCheltenham GL51 8HE
- Liddington Industrial EstateCheltenham GL53 0DL
- Bramery Business ParkCheltenham
- Space Business CentreCheltenham GL51 9FL
- Lansdown Industrial EstateCheltenham GL51 8PL
- Sunningend Business CentreLansdown Industrial Estate, Gloucester Rd, Cheltenham GL51 8PL
- Kingsmead Industrial EstateCheltenham GL51 7RE
- Kingsditch Trading EstateCheltenham
Cheltenham's total stock is flat, up 0.2% since 2016, but offices fell 6.2% to 1,210 and shops 4.3%. Other property rose 20.5%. Industrial units barely changed, up 1.3%. A shrinking office stock can make good buildings scarce, so a firm buying a period office or modern suite may need to move quickly.
What cash do I need for a business property loan in Cheltenham, England?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending generally advance 70 to 75% of value, rising to 80% for strong cases. Indicative pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year, with terms of 5 to 25 years and arrangement fees usually 1 to 2%, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Our costs page lists the fees to budget for.
Illustrative example. A design agency buys a freehold office for £450,000. A 75% loan of £337,500 leaves a £112,500 deposit. Stamp Duty Land Tax at HMRC's non-residential rates is £12,000 (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy), so the company needs around £124,500 plus legal and valuation fees.
Planning records sit with Cheltenham Borough Council, with parish councils in Charlton Kings, Leckhampton with Warden Hill, Prestbury, Swindon and Up Hatherley. 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. Our Gloucestershire page covers the wider county.
Cheltenham districts where companies buy premises
Town centre and the Promenade
Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, with Cavendish House, the oldest department store, dating from 1823, and the Regent Arcade. The former Beechwood Shopping Centre was demolished in 2017 for a John Lewis store. Independent retailers and restaurants buying here face strong competition for space and lenders keen on trading records.
Montpellier
Montpellier, just east of the station, is one of the town's best-known Regency districts. Its terraces suit boutique shops, cafes, salons and small professional offices. Buyers should expect the valuer to focus on listed fabric and any residential upper floors, which change how the loan is classified and priced.
Lansdown
Lansdown is the area around Cheltenham Spa station, which locals call by that name. Good rail links to Bristol, Birmingham, Gloucester and London Paddington make it practical for office occupiers with staff or clients who travel. Converted townhouses are a common purchase here for consultancies and practices.
Swindon Village
Swindon Village lies on the northern side of the borough and is one of its five civil parishes, under the name Swindon. Its edge-of-town position suits businesses that need space and parking rather than a high-street frontage, such as trade suppliers and light engineering firms buying units.
Charlton Kings and Leckhampton
These two southern parishes sit close to the Cotswold escarpment, with Leckhampton running towards the green belt at the south of the borough. Local shopping parades, surgeries and small offices make up much of the commercial stock, so buyers here are often practices and neighbourhood retailers.
