The plans would see certain shops open for longer on a Sunday
A pilot scheme looking at extending Sunday trading hours in Belfast has been in the works for the past few month. The idea was first proposed by Alliance at a full meeting of Belfast City Council on May 1, where it was signed off on.
However, hopes for the scheme to go ahead this year were dashed at a Council Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on June 20, where the pilot scheme was voted down. This came after Sinn Féin withdrew its support as the short time-frame for a pilot scheme meant the plans would only apply to Belfast city centre.
At a full meeting of Belfast City Council on July 1, it was agreed that the Council would look at extending Sunday trading hours across the whole city by March 2026, not summer 2025 as initially planned.
READ MORE: We asked Belfast shoppers their thoughts on extending Sunday opening hoursREAD MORE: Belfast Sunday trading extension back on after Sinn Féin backs Alliance plan
Here is what we know so far about the pilot scheme to extend Sunday trading hours, what supporters and opposers of the scheme say, and what it would mean for the city.
What would the Sunday trading hours pilot scheme mean?
The pilot could allow shops with a floor space of more than 280 square meters to open from 10am or 11am on a Sunday, instead of the current 1pm start time, for a four month period.
Currently, larger shops (over 280 square meters) are legally restricted to opening on Sundays between 1pm and 6pm, while smaller shops (under 280 square meters) have more flexibility with their Sunday opening hours.
Why was the pilot scheme voted down in June?
At a Council meeting on June 20 of its Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, council officials told elected members a short-notice pilot for the summer could not be provided unless the council designated the city centre as a holiday resort, meaning the pilot would not extend to parts of the city outside this area.
Sinn Féin said this new information, combined with other outstanding unresolved issues presented by the trade unions, meant they could not support the pilot this year.
The council officer told elected members that the BIDS and the Belfast Chamber expressed concerns in relation to the ability to put a proposal in place quickly and promote it for later this summer. The Chamber proposed longer hours and a longer pilot period.
What is the latest on the Sunday trading pilot scheme?
At the July meeting of the full Belfast Council, held on July 1, another Alliance proposal passed in a split chamber. Votes from Alliance and Sinn Féin pushed the plan through, which involves further consultation with the public and business with the aim of expanding Sunday trading hours across the whole of Belfast by March 2026.
Alliance Councillor Sam Nelson at the meeting made an amendment to the committee decision. It states: “This council supports in principle to progress the holiday resort designation city-wide, under paragraph nine of the Shops Sunday Trading NI Order, to be introduced on an ongoing basis, commencing March 2026.
“This will follow further consultation and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including the unions. It will also include a public consultation on the designation. The designation will be accompanied by a city centre family-friendly animation programme, created in cooperation with other stakeholders.”
A poll on the amendment had 32 votes in favour from Alliance and Sinn Féin, and 21 against from the DUP, the SDLP, the Greens and People Before Profit. The amendment was therefore passed.
What has been said about the plans?
The move to extend opening hours on Sundays has been welcomed by some, notably the shopping centres, the Belfast Chamber, the Hotel Federation, Visit NI, and the Belfast Business Improvement Districts, as a way to boost city centre footfall while helping tourism.
Many oppose the move, including trade union USDAW and Retail NI, and the majority of parties in the council, who have voiced concerns about the exploitation of staff and warn it could benefit large multinationals at the expense of small independent businesses.
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