Homes in Powys could be revalued every two years pushing council tax bills across the county even higher, a Mid Wales politician warned today.

Welsh Conservative Assembly candidate for Montgomeryshire Dan Munford spoke out today over his concerns that council rebanding in 2005 had already hit Montgomeryshire residents’ pockets hard.

He said he has now restarted his campaign against council tax rebanding in Wales.

Mr Munford said he had obtained a previously unreported submission by the Labour administration to the Lyons Inquiry.

“In its submission the Labour Assembly Government argues the case for bi-annual revaluations, admitting that such a move will be seen as ‘increases in tax revenue being the main driver’,” said Mr Munford.

“Households across Wales have already been subjected to revaluation as part of council tax re-banding in 2005. Four times as many homes moved up a band rather than down as a result of revaluation despite claims that there would be ‘as many winners as losers’.

“Revaluation saw receipts from council tax soar by 10 per cent while the full effects of the revaluation are still to be experienced as transitional relief is slowly being phased out, pushing some homes up two or three bands.”

Mr Munford said average council tax bills in Wales had risen by 94 per cent or £466 since 1997, sending the total tax taken from the council tax up by £12bn since 1997.

To fight Labour’s plans, Mr Munford is restarting his long-running petition campaign against council tax rebanding in Wales with a little help from campaign mascot “Rebanda-Panda”.