Four years on from the last one, another consultation has been launched on proposals to reform the rates system.

The current system is based on historical rental values, with rates calculated using what a property could have been rented out for in 1969.

The government will propose that in future, rates are based on the size in square metres of all the floors in a building, with several aerial views and software used to measure each property initially.

The proposal will be debated by Tynwald in June.

If it is agreed by Tynwald it is expected this system will be introduced with legislation in the 2019/2020 sittings, and revaluations carried out in coming years.

But Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper branded the exercise an ’absolute sham’.

He tweeted: ’Not only are they barrelling ahead with a new method rejected by 71% of people in the 2015 consultation, the new consultation doesn’t even ask people about this new method!’

The last proposal to reform the island’s anachronistic rates system was shelved in 2015.

A consultation carried out in March and April that year found broad support for the need for reform on the basis of capital bands.

But a majority disagreed with the suggested range of values in each band.

Treasury said at that time it would have been impractical to carry out physical inspections of more than 40,000 domestic properties by the February 2016 deadline. Instead, the idea was for householders to declare the value of their own homes.

The then Treasury Minister Eddie Teare said a shortage of drafters to draw up the primary legislation meant reform would have to be postponed until after the 2016 general election.

Launching the latest consultation, Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas said the current rates system was 'out of date and unfair’.

He insisted that rates reform is 'now firmly on track' to be delivered over the next two years with a Bill scheduled for next parliamentary year. He said: ‘Having rates based on property area will provide consistency across the island.

’Rates revaluation was carried out in Guernsey using this system at a fraction of the £2 million Tynwald approved for a traditional revaluation in 2015.

’Keeping the rateable values up-to-date would be easier and cheaper too, so we wouldn’t go nearly 50 years before the next comprehensive review, as has happened.’

Mr Thomas said it was also 'paramount' to address the 'unfair' distribution of non-domestic rates across the island, as well as the many other challenges that exist around the 'efficient and effective' use of the £48m plus raised and spent using the rates system.

The consultation will run for eight weeks and in addition, a series of workshops will be held.

Other matters tackled in the consultation, and what to do about them, include the unequal distribution of non-domestic rates around the island, the operation of businesses from domestic properties, charitable use, dilapidations, single occupancy, prompt payment and ability to pay.

The results of the consultation will be published before the debate in June.