Hampshire Trust Bank completes £5.5m semi-commercial refinance in North West

By Bridging Loan Directory 8th May 2026

Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has completed a £5.5 million semi-commercial refinance for a high-net-worth entrepreneur expanding a mixed-asset property portfolio in the North West of England.

The borrower, an established business owner, sought to release capital from residential and semi-commercial assets to fund further acquisitions and formalise a long-term investment approach.

The transaction involved multiple securities across a mixed-use portfolio and represented a move into leveraged funding at this scale for the borrower.

Introduced by Maxim Cohen, Group CEO at The UK Adviser Group, the case was led on behalf of HTB by Wes Baker, Regional Account Director, Specialist Mortgages.

The portfolio required preparation ahead of submission, with the broker working closely with the client to organise financials and implement appropriate lease structures.

HTB assessed the application across multiple securities, progressing it through valuation, legal and structural stages. Structure and pricing reflected the complexity of the portfolio and the borrower’s requirements.

The facility was delivered using HTB’s panel solicitors, Arch Law, utilising title insurance to reduce overall transaction costs compared to a traditional external legal approach.

The transaction was supported by Melanie Franks, Completions Officer, and Stephen Mettler, Underwriter, at HTB, with Arch Law working alongside the broker team to manage the legal process through to completion.

Wes Baker, Regional Account Director, Specialist Mortgages at HTB, said:

“This was a case where the underlying position was strong, but the borrower needed to take a more structured approach before it could move forward.

Moving into leveraged funding at this scale brings additional requirements around how the portfolio is presented and assessed, and getting that right early on was key to progressing the transaction with confidence.”

Maxim Cohen, Group CEO at The UK Adviser Group, said:

“This was a complex case, both in terms of the portfolio and getting the client into a position where the deal could actually proceed.

A big part of our role was making sure everything was properly structured and presented so it could move forward in the right way.

Once that was in place, HTB engaged closely with the detail.

They worked through the issues with us and approached it as a partner, which made a real difference to the outcome for the client.”

Alex Upton, Managing Director, Specialist Mortgages and Bridging Finance at HTB, said:

“Cases like this are less about complexity on paper and more about getting the structure right from the outset.

For borrowers looking to expand more strategically, that often means taking a step back, working through the detail early and making sure the funding is aligned to what they are trying to achieve over the longer term.

When that process is done properly, it gives both the broker and the client the confidence to move forward and build on that position.”