NEWPORT households face a 5.5 per cent rise in their council tax - but because of property re-evaluations a third of them will pay far more.

The tax of nearly 20,000 of Newport's 60,000 homes will go up by at least one council tax band.

A band D home currently pays £723.62 council tax and police charges this year, but the bill will rise to £769.03 in April.

Last year's property re-evaluation increased the number of homes in band D from 9,417 to 10,874. Homes that moved from Band C into D face a leap of £80.96, or 13%, from current rates.

Councillor Ed Townsend, leader of the LibDems, said: "Many people in Newport are facing two hits, there is the 5.5% increase and 33% of Newport homes will move up one or two bands."

For a band D home the police charge accounted for 18% of the total bill, and 13% of the total rise of £45.41 a year.

The total council budget for the coming financial year is £193.2m. The council will raise an extra £3.1m with the new tax levels and it also managed to save £1.14m by stopping school uniform grants, not replacing a strategic director who left, and reviewing the meals on wheels service. It is also using £824,000 of savings to balance the books.

Spending on education is up by £4.5m to £86.7m and the social services budget has grown by £4m to £42.4m.

Spending on highways is down by £400,000, but the council has found an extra £750,000 in grant assistance to counteract that.

Councillor Bob Bright, leader of the council, said that re-evaluation was a Government decision.

But he added: "I would be surprised if we didn't remain as one of the lowest council tax rises in Wales."

Some areas will also be subject to a community council charge. The highest rise was at Bishton community council, which has risen from a precept of £1,320 to £2,900 - forcing a 220% increase in their charge to £4.

This year the council increased its tax by 5.8% and the Police Authority increased its rate by 4.5%.

The new band rates are: Band A £512.68; Band B £598.13; Band C £683.58; Band D £769.03; Band E £939.93; Band F £1110.83; Band G £1281.71; Band H £1538.06, Band I £1794.41