Derry City and Strabane District Council is the local authority for the Derry and Strabane district in the north-west of Northern Ireland. It was created in the 2014 local government reform, replacing Derry City Council and Strabane District Council. After elections on 22 May 2014 it worked as a shadow authority until the district formally came into being on 1 April 2015, and its name was changed from Derry and Strabane City Council on 24 February 2016. The district contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport.
We are a commercial mortgage broker; we never lend. We arrange business mortgages for limited companies anywhere in the district that want to buy, or refinance, the premises they trade from. It is finance secured on a working business building, which is not the same thing as a residential mortgage. We set out the case for the lenders whose criteria fit the company and the property.
Which premises do companies in the Derry and Strabane District buy?
Manufacturing and inward investment have long shaped the local economy. Shirt-making began in 1831 and became the most prolific in the UK, employing around 18,000 people at its 1920s peak. Seagate has run a factory in the Springtown Industrial Estate since 1993, employing about 1,400 people in 2019. Du Pont has been at Maydown since 1958, its first European production facility, though a closure was announced in late 2025 pending the sale of subsidiaries to Arclin. Local names include Desmonds, a garment business described as Northern Ireland's largest privately owned company, E&I Engineering and St. Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur.
Around those employers sit suppliers, engineering firms, call-centre and software businesses, retailers and professional practices. Industrial units, offices and shops are the common purchases. An owner-occupier mortgage runs at an indicative 6.0 to 7.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation.
Farms, care homes and garages: the trade mix along the Foyle and Mourne
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Derry City and Strabane share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farming, forestry and fishing | 1,350 | 19.5% | 4.5% |
| Construction and building trades | 950 | 13.7% | 12.6% |
| Retail | 675 | 9.7% | 9.3% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 460 | 6.6% | 13.8% |
| Health and social care | 415 | 6% | 5.7% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 375 | 5.4% | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing and engineering | 310 | 4.5% | 4.3% |
| Business support services | 300 | 4.3% | 8.1% |
| Personal and other services | 275 | 4% | 4.1% |
- 4.6xfarming1,340 businesses
- 3.3xenergy supply55 businesses
- 2.4xgambling45 businesses
- 2.0xmembership organisations115 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
The council area counts 6,935 local business units, and 1,100 of them are small or medium-sized firms, with 20 large employers on top. At 84%, the micro share leaves a solid middle tier of companies big enough to want their own premises rather than a rented room above a shop.
Health and social care makes up 6% of firms, slightly above the UK's 5.7%. Care homes and day nurseries are lent on as trading businesses, assessed on occupancy and fee income, which usually places them in the 7.0 to 9.0% band. Motor trade and vehicle repair, at 3.6% against 3% nationally, adds a steady run of workshop and forecourt buyers.
How do transport links affect commercial property loans in the north-west of Northern Ireland?
The district has a port and an airport, and Derry acts as a transport hub for nearby County Donegal. The Foyle Bridge, the longest bridge in Ireland, and the Craigavon Bridge carry road traffic over the River Foyle. But there is no direct motorway link to Belfast or Dublin, and business leaders have long argued that road and rail investment has lagged. Planned upgrades to the A5 are part of the wider transport picture.
For a lender, distance from Belfast is not a reason to decline, but it does shape the valuation. A valuer considers how many other occupiers would want a building and how quickly it could be relet. Well-located units close to the main roads and the bridges usually answer those questions best, while specialist or remote buildings may attract a lower loan to value.
What cash does buying business property in Derry City and Strabane need?
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, over terms of 5 to 25 years. Arrangement fees are typically 1 to 2%. Northern Ireland uses Stamp Duty Land Tax, and HMRC's non-residential rates 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. An engineering company buys a freehold industrial unit for £650,000. A 75% loan is £487,500, so the deposit is £162,500. SDLT comes to £22,000, and the company needs around £184,500 in cash before legal and valuation fees. A firm that owns its building already can look at remortgaging business premises to release capital, indicatively 6.0 to 8.0% a year.
Who handles planning and title for premises finance across the district?
Derry City and Strabane District Council handles most local planning applications, and your solicitor will confirm the building's current use is lawful. Northern Ireland is a separate legal jurisdiction, so you need a solicitor qualified here, and the lender's charge is registered through Land and Property Services. Because the district borders County Donegal, make sure the property you are buying is on the Northern Ireland side: the Republic of Ireland has a different tax and legal system, and our work covers UK property only.
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 Northern Ireland premises finance page and the commercial stamp duty guide for more.
Owner-occupier finance in the district's city, town and estates
Derry
The second-largest city in Northern Ireland, with 85,279 people in 2021 and the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013. Retail, professional, hospitality and technology businesses buy premises on both the Cityside and the Waterside.
Strabane
The district's second main centre, formerly the seat of Strabane District Council, close to the border. Retailers, trades and local manufacturers here typically buy shops, workshops and smaller industrial units.
Springtown Industrial Estate
Where Seagate has operated since 1993. Engineering, assembly and supply businesses seek industrial units in and around the estate, valued on condition and how adaptable the building is.
Maydown
Home to the Du Pont plant since 1958, on the Waterside side of the Foyle. The area's industrial premises suit manufacturers and process businesses, and lenders will look closely at any specialist fit-out.
Londonderry Port and the airport
The port and City of Derry Airport sit within the district. Logistics, storage and transport firms look for yards and warehouses with good access to both.
