WARRINGTON Borough Council could be given the power to extend Sunday opening hours for local shops in a bid to boost the local economy under new proposals that are currently being consulted on.
The Government is seeking views on devolving Sunday trading rules to local areas and they welcome comments from as many interested parties as possible by 16 September 2015.
Mike Hannon
Under current laws, shops that have a floor area of more than 3,000 square feet can only trade for six hours on a Sunday. Under the new plans, detailed in a consultation document available in the consultation section of the www.gov.uk, the Government is proposing to devolve Sunday trading rules, saying this would enable high streets to compete with online businesses and smaller retailers, while offering consumers more choice about when to shop locally. The Government has said they will not make any changes to the restrictions on trading on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.
The two proposals open for consultation include devolving Sunday trading hours to councils or elected mayors, and also has the option of devolving this power to all local authorities, so they can choose which areas could be given longer trading hours. The consultation document states: “the Government believes that local areas are best placed to determine the right approach to Sunday trading in their locality.”
Cllr Mike Hannon, deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council, said: “This is an important consultation that could have a direct effect on our community and shops on our high streets. I’d encourage members of the community to have a look at the online consultation and give their views to help shape this important government policy.”
The full web address to the consultation is https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/devolving-sunday-trading-rules
1 Comment
It won’t have a direct effect on our high streets when there is no public transport to get us home! We will continue going to Liverpool One or the Trafford center to shop and eat on a Sunday. There is no way we could leave our cars at home and have our dinner in Warrington the bus service is non existent after 5ish and the taxis are dire (but cheaper than the bus)!