PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Abolish the Sunday Trade Act 1997 to enable NI shops to open earlier on Sundays
I wish for the government to review the archaic rules set in 1997 forbidding shops and supermarkets from opening until 1pm on a Sunday. This is detrimental to our high street, damaging GDP and making the city / towns like a ghost town. Companies should have to choice of opening sooner
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
7
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 7/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 7/100,000
Background
It kills commerce in the cities. People cannot spend money on their weekend as shops don’t open until 1pm. This ruins people’s weekend who need to shop on a Sunday for the week ahead and cannot plan anything on that day because they have to plan it around the shopping. There are enough people to work now without offending religious church goers. It’s an archaic law which is no longer fit for purpose. This is killing our high streets and making Northern Ireland a less attractive place to live