Ecology Building Society will open its first physical branch in Porth in April 2026, converting a former hardware store on Hannah Street into a community-focused banking hub
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Ecology building society to open first high street branch in Porth in April 2026
Ecology Building Society, a Yorkshire-based mutual, has said it will open its first high street branch in Porth in April 2026. The society named the site as the former hardware store on Hannah Street, which it said has been empty since June 2026.
The move will reintroduce face-to-face services in a town that, like many across the UK, has seen local banking outlets close. Ecology currently serves about 15,000 customers via online, postal and telephone channels.
Ecology described the new outlet as a place for transactions and a local meeting point.
The society said the conversion of the premises is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. The project is expected to create new jobs in the town and to offer services aimed at people and small businesses with limited access to traditional branch networks.
The society did not provide a detailed timetable for staffing or an exact opening day beyond the stated month of April 2026. Further operational details and service hours are expected to be announced before the branch opens.
Why Porth matters
Further operational details and service hours are expected to be announced before the branch opens.
Ecology says the new branch on Hannah Street will provide core retail banking services tailored to local needs. These will include cash withdrawals, cash and cheque deposits, and basic current and savings accounts.
The society has also pledged in-branch financial advice and assisted digital support for customers unfamiliar with online banking. Staff will offer face-to-face help with account management, bill payments and simple loan enquiries.
Ecology intends the branch to function as more than a transactional outlet. The society describes it as a community hub for financial education, outreach to vulnerable residents and signposting to local support services.
The project will operate in partnership with local agencies and with funding support already secured from the Government Shared Prosperity Fund and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council.
Ecology’s chief executive, Gareth Griffiths, said restoring a high street financial presence responds to long-term closures that have increased travel time and costs for residents and businesses.
Local officials and community groups have been invited to collaborate on programming and opening events. Further announcements will set out final services and schedules ahead of the launch.
Services and community focus
Following the services and community focus described earlier, the branch will offer in-person assistance across core retail products. Staff will provide face-to-face support for savings and mortgage customers in private meeting rooms designed for confidential discussions.
A key feature will be self-service kiosks for free cash deposits and withdrawals. The kiosks will be available to both members and non-members, offering an important option for small traders and residents who continue to rely on cash payments. The facility is intended to improve cash access locally and reduce the need for longer journeys to distant machines.
The design also includes a dedicated community room for local groups to host activities, meetings and events. Ecology expects the space to lower venue costs for community organisations and to support regular local programming that strengthens neighbourhood ties.
Practical benefits for businesses
Local businesses stand to gain from improved access to cash-handling services and in-person banking support. The branch’s kiosks will streamline day-to-day transactions for traders who handle cash sales. Private meeting rooms can serve as short-term interview or client spaces, reducing operating costs for small enterprises.
By combining transactional services with community-oriented facilities, the branch aims to support microbusiness resilience and local economic activity. Ecology has said it will confirm final service hours and access arrangements ahead of the opening.
Small businesses and community groups often incur extra travel and costs to access cash services. The new in-branch kiosks are intended to reduce that burden. They will offer free deposits and withdrawals without requiring an Ecology account. The branch aims to serve traders, charities and organisations that handle cash.
Jobs and regeneration
The conversion of the long-empty Hannah Street building is expected to create at least three local jobs. The project will also remove an eyesore from the town centre. Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and housing, welcomed the investment. He highlighted the combined benefits of new services and the reuse of a building at risk of deterioration.
How this fits Ecology’s wider strategy
The new branch extends Ecology’s focus on improving access to basic banking services in underserved areas. It complements the organisation’s existing retail offerings and in-person support for savings and mortgages. Ecology has said it will confirm final service hours and access arrangements ahead of the opening, and the branch will form part of a broader effort to support cash-dependent businesses and local regeneration.
The new branch opens as part of a coordinated effort to support cash-dependent businesses and local regeneration. Ecology says the outlet will test a model of a modern branch that is efficient, community-minded and complementary to digital services.
The society reported total assets of £337m, with about £250m linked to mortgages. It is preparing its financial report for 2026 while considering additional branch locations.
Responses from experts
Supporters in the mutual sector welcomed Ecology’s move as a practical response to reduced local access to cash. Proponents argue branches can provide reassurance and personalised guidance that digital channels do not always deliver.
Consumer advocates said face-to-face services remain important for customers who lack reliable online access or who prefer in-person financial advice. They noted the combined pressures of the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living squeeze have increased demand for accessible, trusted local services.
Other commentators questioned the long-term economics of expanding physical networks. They pointed to sustained digital uptake and the high fixed costs of branch operations as reasons for caution. These analysts said any new branch model must demonstrate clear, measurable benefits to local communities and to the society’s balance sheet.
Industry groups emphasised the need for branches to complement, not duplicate, digital infrastructure. They recommended designs that reduce operating costs, such as shared-use kiosks and appointment-based services, while retaining core face-to-face functions like cash handling and personalised advice.
Ecology said it had consulted local stakeholders in developing the branch model and would monitor performance closely. The society expects the opening to inform decisions on future locations and on how branches can best support cash-dependent businesses and community regeneration.
Community support and the trial at Porth
Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfacts, described the opening as a positive development for under-served communities. She said rising digital adoption has reduced branch footfall, but many customers still need in-person assistance for deposits, withdrawals and complex financial decisions. Springall added that mutuals are well placed to support local needs because of their member-led structure and community focus.
Ecology is keeping longer-term branch plans under review. The Porth site is the society’s first high-street presence after decades without branches, and the outlet’s performance will inform any future expansion. Residents can follow local updates and community event details via Ecology’s Porth Facebook page ahead of the formal opening in April 2026.
New branch aims to restore local banking and community space
Residents can follow local updates and community event details via Ecology’s Porth Facebook page ahead of the formal opening in April 2026. The new branch will offer practical banking services, create local jobs and bring a vacant property back into productive use.
Staff will provide face-to-face account access, cash services and basic financial advice tailored to under-served customers. The facility is also designed as a community hub where local groups and residents can meet outside normal banking hours.
For towns that have lost traditional bank branches, the initiative is being monitored as a potential model for reinvesting in local financial infrastructure. Policymakers and community groups will be watching whether the scheme boosts financial inclusion and supports longer-term town-centre activity.
Operational details, including opening times and the range of in-branch services, will be published on the branch’s social channels and through community notices before the launch.
