VALE of Glamorgan residents face a hike of nearly 10 percent in their council tax bills. For the average household in the area, it will mean just over £1 a week more.

And that's after the council dips into savings to help fund some of the increased spending next year.

One priority in the new budget will be to help rid the area of the widespread problem of fly-tipping.

A spending budget of just over £145 million was voted for by the council cabinet.

The increase of 9.95 percent excludes additional taxes from the police and community councils.

The Welsh Assembly Government increased their grants by 7.3 percent from 2002/2003, as well as announcing that the Vale of Glamorgan would receive a Deprivation Grant of £152,000.

But the shortfall between the Standard Spending Assessment figures - what the government expects the council to spend - and the amount raised through government grants resulted in the sharp rise.

It means that an average D band household will see their bills go up from £592.38 to £651.33 in the next financial year, 2003 to 2004.

The council has used more than £2.6 million of its reserves to finance parts of the budget, which includes education and family services and cleaning up the area.

A council said: "There will be significant increases in spending in certain departments."

The charge for picking up bulky household waste - ranging from £7.70 to £15.75 - will be scrapped as of April this year.

This aims to cut down the amount of fly-tipping in lanes and around the countryside of large household goods.

This will cost the council £80,000 a year.

There will also be a further £20,000 spent on the removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles.

The council aims to spend a huge portion of the budget on children and family services.

It has set aside £69 million for education and £22 million for community care and health in the Vale of Glamorgan."

The Welsh Assembly Government is due to look at the values of homes in the area in preparation for re-banding in 2005.

The proposals, outlined in a consultation paper issued last December, could see householders in properties within Bands E to H paying between £33 and £107 more per year, based on the 2002 to 2003 tax levels.

The introduction of a ninth band, B and I, would see owners of homes in excess of £400,000 paying four times the lowest rate.

It is estimated the number of Vale dwellings moving up a band will be between 27 percent and 50 percent.

The assessment starts in April 2003 and the re-bandings come into effect on April 1, 2005.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is against these proposals, with the cabinet agreeing to lobby at all levels, and ensuring residents are aware of the implications.

Council leader Jeffrey James said there was "deep concern" especially for those who although their property might be moving were in an income bracket not increasing in comparison.

He said: "Taxpayers in the Vale already pay a greater proportion of the council's finances than most other areas in Wales.

The proposals will further increase this and effectively transfer the money to other parts of Wales through the grants system."