Archives: Faq

Holds our products and product specific data

About our new Porth branch

Ecology chose Porth in South Wales for its first-ever branch having identified the town as one of several across the UK facing long-standing inequalities in access and opportunity.

In Wales alone, over 62% of High Street bank branches have closed their doors in the last decade, with Porth’s last remaining bank closing in October 2017, making it difficult for residents and local business to access key financial services.

Read more here about our new branch.

 

 

How to get there

Our new branch is at 44 Hannah Street, Porth, South Wales, CF39 9RA.

This is in the town centre, approximately five minutes’ walk from Porth railway station and the bus interchange. We encourage our Members to travel to our events by public transport if possible.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has information about public transport service in the local area on its website.

For trains information and timetables, visit the National Rail website.  Stagecoach is the main operator of buses serving Porth and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The closest car parks to our branch, are in Hannah Street (up to two hours’ parking) and a couple of minutes walk away at Porth Plaza (long stay).

Please click the image to open in Google Maps:

Google maps image of Porth showing the train station and 44 Hannah Street

 

Register to attend our AGM

This year’s AGM takes place at our new branch at 44 Hannah Street, Porth CF39 9RA.

We'll also be hosting the event online, so that more people can attend.

You can find out more and register to attend by visiting our dedicated Eventbrite page here. If you can’t register online, please contact us on 01535 650770 to reserve your place.

If you're planning to join us in person, please book your place by 15 April. This will help us with arrangements for the meeting.

Eligibility Criteria

  • We’ll lend based on a full affordability assessment and at a maximum Loan to Value of 90% (repayment basis) and 75% (interest only).
  • Applicants must be aged 18 years or over. The mortgage is only available to UK residents.
  • A maximum mortgage term of 35 years is available (subject to eligibility).
  • Mortgages are available on a repayment, interest only or part (repayment) and part (interest only) subject to eligibility.
  • The property must have a minimum EPC rating of C or higher. If the property is a new build in development, please provide a copy of the predicted energy assessment.
  • If the property was built in the last 10 years, the property must have an acceptable build warranty (subject to eligibility).
  • The mortgage is available for non-standard construction types (for example, timber frame or clad) providing the property complies with the Society’s requirements.
  • This product is available to all property located in the UK.
  • Available for leasehold tenures (subject to criteria)
  • The property must have an acceptable co-housing lease (subject to criteria)
  • This product is not eligible for C-Change Discounts.
  • Builder Gifted Deposits and Incentives are not accepted.
  • This product is not eligible where the property is a discounted market sale home (DMSH).

What are Discounted Market Sale (DMS) Homes?

  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
  • Nulla imperdiet elit eu sollicitudin gravida. Donec luctus lacus nibh, vitae blandit purus venenatis eget.
  • Duis volutpat ipsum at neque lacinia, ut lobortis ex laoreet.
  • Nulla tincidunt sem eget tortor sollicitudin fringilla. Quisque a justo a risus viverra tincidunt.
  • Pellentesque purus dui, tempor vitae sodales et, vulputate vitae ante. Cras mattis commodo aliquam.
  • Duis eget pretium tellus, scelerisque aliquam tellus. Aenean neque mauris, eleifend nec sodales sed, tincidunt et massa.

How does the mortgage work?

  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
  • Nulla imperdiet elit eu sollicitudin gravida. Donec luctus lacus nibh, vitae blandit purus venenatis eget.
  • Duis volutpat ipsum at neque lacinia, ut lobortis ex laoreet.
  • Nulla tincidunt sem eget tortor sollicitudin fringilla. Quisque a justo a risus viverra tincidunt.
  • Pellentesque purus dui, tempor vitae sodales et, vulputate vitae ante. Cras mattis commodo aliquam.
  • Duis eget pretium tellus, scelerisque aliquam tellus. Aenean neque mauris, eleifend nec sodales sed, tincidunt et massa.

What is co-housing?

Co-housing is a form of community-led housing where residents live in private homes but share common facilities, such as kitchens, gardens, or meeting rooms. Co-housing communities are typically designed and managed by residents to encourage social interaction and mutual support.

How does the mortgage work?

We’ll lend money to help you buy and renovate the property.

We’ll release up to 80% or 90% of the purchase price or value of the property and subsequently, the money required for the renovation costs. As you continue with your renovation, staged payments of up to either 80% or 90% of your increased property value will be released – this will help you keep tabs on your budget and planning.

This type of mortgage may be suitable if you are able to make a cash deposit on your property and fund the early stages of the build. We normally recommend 15% to 20% of your total budget as a good starting point to begin your renovation.

Once your renovation is complete and the energy efficiency of your property is improved, you can lower your interest rate through our C-Change discounts.