Farm Infrastructure & Building Finance October 2026

Grain stores, potato and vegetable stores, livestock housing, silage clamps, slurry lagoons, workshops, on-farm processing facilities, farm shops, cold stores and polytunnels are all typically eligible. Lenders treat these as fixed or semi-fixed assets rather than machinery, so terms up to 10 years are available.

Yes. Farm solar PV systems - roof-mounted or ground-mounted - are financeable via hire purchase or finance lease. Lombard and BNP Paribas Leasing have dedicated renewable energy desks. Export tariffs and FIT income can sometimes be factored into affordability assessments.

Yes, within a diversification finance framework. Lenders that support farm diversification include Aldermore, Shawbrook and Cynergy Bank. The assessment will look at projected rental income as well as the farm's underlying trading position.

Grain store finance is usually structured as a drawdown facility, with funds released in stages as the build progresses. This avoids paying interest on the full facility from day one. Lombard and Close Brothers both offer staged-drawdown infrastructure facilities.

For permanent structures such as grain stores or farm buildings, most lenders will want planning permission in place or at an advanced stage before drawing down funds. For temporary or permitted development structures, this requirement is often relaxed.