Survey to go out with bills this month

Ratepayers are going to be asked to help government as it tries to change the way residential property is valued for rating purposes.

Treasury is considering moving from the current system based on historical rental values to current capital values.

Rate demands, which will sent out this month, will include a request for the homeowner to indicate where they think their property would be placed in a range of price bands.

Ratepayers don't have to provide the information, and there is no need for professional valuations.

Treasury says the Information provided will only be used for research purposes and not passed on to third parties.

The current system for calculating local authority water and sewerage rates uses rental values from the 1960s and Treasury officials believe the capital value of a house rated in nine bands from under £140,000 to over a million would provide a more accurate system with fewer anomalies.

It's claimed the new system would mean some households would pay less, others more but the change would NOT increase the overall amount of revenue raised.