Contact:
  • Environmental Monitoring and Licensing Team
  • Address:
    9-10 Bath Street Bath BA1 1SN
  • E-mail:
    environmental_monitoring@bathnes.gov.uk
  • Telephone:
    01225 477557
  • Fax:
    01225 477596
  • Minicom:
    01225 477647
  • Page Updated:
    21/05/2008
  • Author:
    Lorna McCardle
A to Z Index

Licence - Sunday Trading Notifications

Since 1994 there have been no restrictions on shopping hours - apart from Sundays - following a decision by Parliament to deregulate shop opening times by the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994.  This repealed the Shops Act 1950 which had previously governed the hours at which shops could open.  All shops are now able to open without restrictions between Monday to Saturday.

Restrictions on opening times on Sundays are now, under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, confined to large shops (defined under the Act as those having an internal sales area of over 280 square metres), which may open for six hours between 10 am and 6 pm and are required to remain closed on Easter Sunday.  Small shops are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely.  The Sunday Trading Act 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.

New

The Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004 has now removed the requirement for large shops to notify local authorities of their Sunday trading hours or of any changes.  Large shops are still limited to trading for a maximum of six hours between 10 am and 6 pm on Sundays and must display these hours inside and outside the premises.

The Department of Trade and Industry are currently carrying out a review of the Sunday Trading legislation and should produce a report in the Summer of 2006.

Easter Sunday and Christmas Day

The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 prohibits large shops from opening on Christmas Day.

The Sunday Trading Act 1994 requires large shops - those where the relevant floor area exceeds 280 square metres, to close on Easter Sunday.  There are certain exemptions to this which are as follows:

a)  Any shop, which is at a farm and where the trade or business carried on, consists wholly or mainly of the sale of produce from that farm.

b)  Any shop where the trade or business carried on consists wholly or mainly of the sale of intoxicating liquor.

c)  Any shop where the trade or business carried on consists wholly or mainly of the sale of one or more of the following:

i)  motor supplies and accessories, and

ii)  cycle supplies and accessories.

d)  Any shop which:

i)  is a registered pharmacy, and

ii)  is not open for the sale of retail goods other than medicinal products and medicinal and surgical appliances.

e)  Any shop at a designated airport.

f)  Any shop in a railway station.

g)  Any shop at a service area within the meaning of the Highways Act 1980.

h)  Any petrol filling station.

i)  Any stand used for the retail sale of goods during the course of an exhibition.

j)  Any shop occupied by persons observing the Jewish Sabbath.

For further information please telephone the Environmental Monitoring and Licensing Team Manager on 01225 477557 or email environmental_monitoring@bathnes.gov.uk or see the Department of Trade and Industry's web page at http://www.berr.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page38554.html.