UPDATED: Large shops on the Isle of Wight could be allowed to open for longer on Sundays under radical plans to devolve powers over trading hours, which are set to be unveiled in tomorrow’s summer Budget.
In the biggest shake-up of Sunday trading laws since the 1990s, Chancellor George Osborne wants to allow mayors and councils to determine for themselves what the rules should be in their areas. Should the plans go ahead, the Isle of Wight Council would be able to determine if large stores of over 3000sqm can open for longer on a Sunday.
The existing law prevents larger stores from opening for more than six hours, meaning essential supermarkets such as Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco and even clothing stores like Next all close at 16:00 on a Sunday, much to the frustration of shoppers.
The Chancellor said:
“Even two decades on from the introduction of the Sunday Trading Act, it is clear that that there is still a growing appetite for shopping on a Sunday. There is some evidence that transactions for Sunday shopping are actually growing faster than those for Saturday.
‘The rise of online shopping, which people can do round the clock, also means more retailers want to be able to compete by opening for longer at the weekend. But this won’t be right for every area, so I want to devolve the power to make this decision to mayors and local authorities.
‘This will be another part of my plan to ensure a truly national recovery, with our great towns and cities able to determine their own futures”.
The Chancellor’s plans are expected to be taken forward in the Government’s new Enterprise Bill in the autumn.
UPDATED: Julie Jones-Evans, Chair of the Isle of Wight Branch of the FSB has this afternoon said:
“As many of our FSB members on the Island are sole traders and partnerships, they may be without the capacity to work 7 days a week, which may be necessary to be able to compete with larger retailers. Small businesses already have to deal with 24/7 internet shopping, (which does not the carry the same overheads as a High Street store) and I am concerned about the extra pressure that this may put on family life.
“As a tourist destination, many of our businesses operate longer hours in the day and 7 days a week during the season. If out of town superstores continue their weekday trading hours on Sundays, I would be concerned about the potential negative impact on our town and villages, which are a vital part of Island life. I trust that the Isle of Wight Council will look to have an in depth consultation with the Island’s business community and also continue their ongoing dialogue with the FSB, as part of the newly signed accord agreement.”
