Stoke-on-Trent is a city and unitary authority in Staffordshire, with an estimated 259,965 people in 2022. It was formed in 1910 from the federation of six towns, Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton, and Hanley is the main commercial centre. Known as The Potteries, it is now also a centre for services and distribution, and about 9,000 firms are based in the city.
We arrange commercial mortgages for Stoke companies that want to buy or refinance the premises they trade from. That is finance secured on a business building, never a residential mortgage, and we work as a broker rather than a lender. The city sits within our Staffordshire commercial mortgage coverage.
Premises finance for the ceramics trade in The Potteries
A skilled ceramics trade has existed here since at least the 12th century. The decline of manufacturing in the late 1980s and 1990s closed many factories, steelworks, collieries and potteries, including the Shelton Bar steelworks, but the industry survives in recognisable names: Portmeirion in Stoke town, Emma Bridgewater in Hanley, Burleigh and Steelite in Middleport, Wade in Etruria, Moorcroft and Royal Stafford in Burslem, Aynsley in Longton and Churchill China in Tunstall.
Many smaller ceramics, decorating and supply businesses trade from older potbanks. A lender will finance those buildings, but it values them on what another occupier would pay, so a listed or multi-storey works may support a smaller loan than a modern unit of the same floor area. We flag that before you make an offer.
Kilns, couriers and car dealers: Stoke-on-Trent's firms
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Stoke-on-Trent share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1,080 | 12.8% | 9.3% |
| Construction and building trades | 970 | 11.5% | 12.5% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 780 | 9.2% | 4.2% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 680 | 8% | 13.8% |
| Business support services | 620 | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 610 | 7.2% | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 585 | 6.9% | 4.3% |
| Health and social care | 575 | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| Motor trade and vehicle repair | 510 | 6% | 3% |
- 5.6xglass, ceramics and building materials75 businesses
- 2.9xpostal and courier services285 businesses
- 2.8xmachinery manufacturing55 businesses
- 2.1xroad haulage and land transport380 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Ceramics still defines Stoke-on-Trent's industrial identity: makers of clay, glass and other mineral products run at more than five times the UK share. The city's 8,450 businesses also lean heavily on movement and trade, with transport and logistics at 9.2% against 4.2%, and the motor trade at 6%, double the national level. Retail, at 12.8%, is well above average too.
Micro firms make up 79%, so mid-sized employers carry more weight here, with 330 medium-sized businesses. A pottery or kiln works is a specialist building, and a lender will weigh how easily it could be re-let to another user when setting the loan size.
Owner-occupier mortgages on the A500 and A50 distribution corridor in Stoke, Staffordshire
The A500, known locally as the D road, links the city to the M6 at junctions 15 and 16, and the A50 runs east to the M1, joining the A500 near the bet365 Stadium. Road improvements have brought product distribution centres to the area. Amazon runs a distribution centre on the former Hem Heath Colliery, Sainsbury's and The Co-operative Pharmacy have large warehouses, and Michelin's complex holds its commercial head office, training centre and truck tyre re-treading facility.
Industry remains, too: Goodwin Steel Castings has a steel foundry in Joiner's Square and Fuchs has its UK head office and factory in Hanley. Hauliers, engineers and wholesale firms buying units close to the A500 benefit from strong occupier demand, which supports valuations.
Offices up, pubs down: Stoke's commercial stock since 2016
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 warehouse3,460properties on the rating listUp 12.3% since 2016Average rateable value £30,400factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices1,430properties on the rating listUp 31.2% since 2016Average rateable value £14,100offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail2,670properties on the rating listDown 1.5% since 2016Average rateable value £20,000shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial1,820properties on the rating listDown 9% since 2016Average rateable value £34,600pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Stoke units in owner hands: Sneyd Green to Joiners Square
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Stoke-on-Trent, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Lord Nelson Industrial EstateHanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3QR
- Metro Business ParkStoke-on-Trent ST1 4AF
- Joiners Square Industrial EstateHanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3EX
- Oldham St Joiners Square Industrial EstateStoke-on-Trent ST1 3EY
- Far Green Industrial EstateHanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 6AZ
- Sneyd Business ParkSneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 2NP
- Sneyd Green Business ParkHanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 2NP
- Cobridge Industrial EstateCobridge, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 2PL
- Berryhill Road Industrial EstateStoke-on-Trent ST4 2DW
- Britannia Park Industrial EstateStoke-on-Trent ST6 2DW
- Bridge Industrial EstateStoke-on-Trent ST6 2DL
- Garner Street Business ParkStoke-on-Trent ST4 7BH
Office numbers in Stoke-on-Trent have jumped 31.2% since 2016, to 1,430, the sharpest change on the city's rating list. 'Other' property, which includes pubs, clubs and leisure buildings, has gone the other way, down 9% to 1,820. For a hospitality owner that shrinking pool means fewer comparable sales, so the valuation may rest more heavily on trading figures. Industrial stock is up 12.3%, at an average rateable value of £30,400.
Offices, shops and practices: commercial property loans in Hanley and Festival Park
Hanley is usually regarded as the city centre, and the Potteries Shopping Centre there has 87 units. Bet365, the city's best-known company, is at Festival Park in Etruria, where Vodafone also has a large call centre. The Royal Stoke University Hospital employs over 7,000 staff, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the largest single employer.
That brings demand for office suites, shops and healthcare premises. Dental, veterinary and pharmacy practices buying their buildings can use professional practice mortgages, while shops with flats above are financed as semi-commercial property.
Tax, security and refinancing for business property in Stoke-on-Trent, England
Stoke-on-Trent purchases pay SDLT at HMRC's non-residential rates, which as at October 2026 are 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above. The stamp duty on business premises guide gives the detail. The lender takes a first legal charge at HM Land Registry and Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the planning authority.
Illustrative example. A Burslem ceramics business buys a freehold workshop for £250,000. A 75% loan is £187,500 and the deposit £62,500. SDLT is £2,000. Indicative owner-occupier rates are 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
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.
Hanley, Burslem, Longton and the other towns of the city
Hanley
The primary commercial centre and the city centre in all but name, with the Potteries Shopping Centre, Emma Bridgewater's pottery and Fuchs' factory. Retailers, professional firms and offices make up most purchases, alongside light industrial users on the fringes.
Burslem and Middleport
Burslem is home to Moorcroft and Royal Stafford, while Steelite and Burleigh are in Middleport beside the Trent and Mersey Canal. Heritage factory buildings dominate, suiting ceramics and creative businesses, and lenders look closely at condition and alternative use.
Tunstall
The northernmost of the six towns, with Churchill China's main factory. Manufacturing and trade businesses buy industrial units here, at the top of the line of towns that runs south along the A50 to Longton.
Longton
Aynsley China in Longton is one of the last makers of bone china in the city. The town mixes older pottery buildings with shops and trade premises, and buyers include small manufacturers, retailers and service businesses.
Fenton
Called "the forgotten town" because Arnold Bennett left it out of his Five Towns, Fenton sits between Stoke and Longton on the A50 line. Its trade and industrial premises suit firms wanting a central position at a lower profile than Hanley.
Etruria and Festival Park
Bet365 and Vodafone's call centre are at Festival Park, and Wade Ceramics is in Etruria. Offices, leisure and modern business space make this the city's most corporate district, and its buildings are generally straightforward for a lender to value.
