Issue - meetings

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 20th April, it had agreed to defer consideration of a report on the designation of Belfast District (or the city centre) as a ‘holiday resort’ providing large shops with the option to extend Sunday trading hours between the months of March and October to enable further information to be received.  Subsequently, at its at its special meeting on 27th April, it had again deferred the matter to enable a Summit to be hosted by the Council that would include key stakeholders including the Trade Unions, business organisations such as the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Retail NI and the tourism sector and representatives of those shops who wished to have extended Sunday opening. 

            The Committee considered further the reports of 20th and 27th April, together with the supplementary report which had been prepared following the holding of the Summit.  A copy of the three reports in this regard are set out hereunder

            Report to the Strategic Policy and

            Resources Committee on 20th April

“1.0      Purpose of the Report 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to:

-       update the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the updated findings from the public consultation as to whether Belfast City Council should designate the Belfast district (or the city centre) as a ‘holiday resort’ under Article 6 of the Shops (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

-       to seek a decision from Members on whether to proceed with a ‘holiday resort’ designation

            The effect of such a designation would be to provide large shops with an option to extend their Sunday trading hours in the city centre on up to 18 Sundays (other than Easter Sunday) between 1 March and 30 September in any calendar year.  

            Such a designation may not come into effect until at least one month after the resolution of the Council. 

1.2       Deputations

            Members will wish to note that officers have received requests from both the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) and the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce to give short presentations to the Committee on this issue.  It will be a matter for the Committee to decide at the start of the meeting whether or not to receive the deputations from the aforementioned organisations (or indeed any other organisation who may make a similar request prior to the meeting).

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

                                             (i)     advise whether to receive the deputations indicated at para 1.2

                                           (ii)     note the contents of the report including the findings from the original public consultation which concluded on 5 May 2017 and the supplementary public consultation which ended on 2 April 2018.

                                         (iii)     make a decision as to whether to provide approval for the Council to make a ‘holiday resort’ designation under Article 6 of the Shops (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

                                         (iv)     if it is decided to make a designation, to then decide as to whether to apply the designation to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3

Designation of Belfast district (or the city centre)

as a ‘holiday resort’ providing large shops with an

option to extend Sunday trading hours between the

months of March and October

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report on the updated findings from the public consultation as to whether Belfast City Council should designate the Belfast district or the city centre as a ‘holiday resort’ under Article 6 of the shops (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.  She reminded the Committee that it had considered this the previous year, however, following representations to look at the matter again, a further consultation had been undertaken and the results of which had been circulated.

            The City Solicitor reviewed the high-level consultation response and the comparisons between the previous consultation in 2017 and the current consultation.  He referred also to the equality and good relations implications outlined in the report.

            It was reported that a number of requests had been received from deputations wishing to address the Committee and the Committee needed to decide whether to receive them.

            The Committee agreed to receive the deputations.