Sunday trading pilot will ‘revitalise’ Belfast city centre, councillor says

Extending the hours that bigger shops are able to trade on a Sunday in the city will help “revitalise and regenerate” Belfast, a key supporter of the scheme has said.

Currently shops bigger than 280 square metres can only open between 13:00 and 18:00, while there are no restrictions on smaller shops.

On Thursday night Belfast City Council backed a proposal by the Alliance Party to allow shops to open from 10:00 on Sunday for a six-week pilot.

Final details still need to be confirmed, but Alliance councillor Michael Long said he hoped the pilot would start in August.

Long said Sunday morning in the city centre was a “bit of a ghost town,” especially for tourists.

However Liam English from the Trade Union Usdaw, which represents shop-workers, said it was “very disappointed” at the council’s decision.

“For the past 10 years we’ve been campaigning to not extend the Sunday trading hours in the Belfast area,” he told BBC News NI.

Mr English said there had been no prior discussion with the union and he was asking the council not to go ahead with the pilot.

“Our members are telling us to work a Sunday they are being pressurised from some of these companies”, he said.

He added that if it went ahead “their family time is going to be given up”.

Niamh Lawson and Ceri Swain, both 19, initially thought extending shopping hours on a Sunday was positive.

“Sundays are when most people off so being able to have longer hours, more time to go shopping is wonderful,” said Ms Lawson.

However Ms Swain said she then thought it might make the city centre too busy at a time when it is normally quiet.

“When you’re going into a cafe on a Sunday morning, it’s now going to be packed, I suppose,” she said.

But they both agreed they would come and try it out during the pilot.

Colin and Susan Harrington, visiting Belfast on holiday from the north of England, said they did not believe the shops needed to open earlier on a Sunday.

Mrs Harrington said Sunday was a day for family and not for shopping.

“We have the family for Sunday dinner, so we all stay at home,” she told BBC News NI.

Her husband said he hoped the people who worked shops were given the choice about whether they wanted to work on a Sunday or not.

“If they have to, and they need the money, which most of us do, then C’est La Vie – that’s what they’re gonna have to do, you know?” he said.

“But they should have their own choice.”

However, Ryan McCluskey said the shops opening earlier on a Sunday would appeal to a lot of people – including him.

“Not everyone sits in on a Sunday hungover. Other people like going out shopping on a Sunday so it definitely needs to be open a bit earlier,” he said.

“Saturdays are absolutely packed and then when it comes the weekends Sundays are dead.”

Nicole Robinson had no objection to the shops opening earlier on a Sunday and thought it might appeal to tourists, but said most people spent the day relaxing.

“I never go into the shops on a Sunday. No no no,” she said.