Sunday Trading Notification

Restrictions on opening times on Sundays are now confined to large shops (defined under the Act as those having an internal sales area of over 280sq.m). The critical consideration is the floor area definition, which is clarified as meaning the part of the shop within a building that is used for display of goods and customer services.

Large shops must:

• be registered with the Council for trading on a Sunday, and
• specify the six hours of trading on a Sunday which must be between the hours of 10.00 to 18.00, and
• provide a sign visible both internally and externally specifying the times of trading

They are required to remain closed on Easter Sunday (and on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday).

Exemptions

• Public Houses, Off-Licences and take-aways (opening hours for these are governed by their licence requirements)
• Chemists and pharmacies (where only medical goods are sold)
• Shops in railway stations
• Petrol filling stations and service areas
• Motor accessory shops
• Farm shops
• Exhibition stands
  

The council keeps a public register of the large shops operating in its area, which can be viewed at the address below upon request.

Small shops are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 also includes specific measures to protect the rights of shop workers who do not wish to work on Sunday.

Apart from the restrictions mentioned above, it is left to individual owners to determine their opening hours in the light of customer demand.

Please use the Online Sunday Trading Notification form.