BUSINESSES in the region are set to benefit from efforts to make the rating system more open and transparent.

Trials to test ways of giving more information to ratepayers who appeal against their rateable value are to take place in South Lakeland, Furness and north Lancashire.

Up until now, the Valuation Office Agency has not routinely given details of how values were calculated until an appeal reached a valuation tribunal.

In future, when the VOA begins to consider an appeal, each ratepayer will receive a summary of how their rateable value was assessed.

And in trial areas, the VOA will supply supporting evidence and may even send staff to explain in person.

VOA business operations director John Ebdon said: "This is part of our long term strategy for modernising the rating valuation system.

We understand that many ratepayers see our job of setting rateable values as somewhat mysterious.

"We believe that, consequently, many appeal simply because they do not have details of their valuation on which to make a confident judgement about whether the rateable values of their properties are acceptable or not."