Member Article

Government to revive controversial Sunday trading proposals

Shops and high streets across the UK may soon be allowed to stay open for longer on Sundays after the government announced it was reviving plans to relax Sunday trading laws.

The announcement by Business Secretary Sajid Javid outlined Conservative proposals which would see Sunday trading laws devolved to local authorities, allowing councils to ‘zone’ any relaxation so they will be able to prioritise high streets and city centres.

It is hoped the move will help to revive struggling high streets and drive footfall by allowing them to open longer.

The plans are to be added as an amendment to the Enterprise Bill which was announced last May.

However, the proposals have met opposition from Labour, trade unions and the Scottish National Party who believe any relaxation would divert trade to out of town supermarkets and question the economic benefit of such a move.

In an attempt to quell any backlash, the government has also included assurances that shop workers will have the option to “opt-out” of working Sundays if they choose to.

Shop workers will now be able to give just 1 month’s notice to large shops that they no longer want to work Sundays, down from the previous 3 months, and will have a new right to opt-out of working additional hours.

Despite the criticisms, Sajid Javid welcomed the proposals and said: “We are a one nation government and we want to see the benefits of economic growth being felt in every corner of the country.

“These new powers are about giving local areas the choice to extend Sunday trading hours to meet the needs of their local businesses and communities. It is local people who will make the decision.

“Extending Sunday trading hours has the potential to help businesses and high streets across the UK better compete as our shopping habits change. The rights of shop workers are key to making these changes work in everyone’s interests.

“We are protecting those who do not wish to work Sundays, and those who do not want to work more than their normal Sunday working hours.

“The rise of online shopping has changed buying habits considerably, giving us the freedom to buy what we want, when we want. Online businesses have been able to adapt and thrive in this new world, accounting for 12.8% of all retail spending in December 2014, up from just 2.4% in 2006.

“However, the rules on Sunday trading for our high street stores and bigger outlets have not changed for over 20 years, meaning they cannot compete with this new online competition.”