Sunday trading hours to be extended for large stores in Derry

Derry & Strabane Council has now announced that applications are now open for large stores to temporarily extend their Sunday opening hours from April to the end of June.

The Council said the temporary extension will allow large stores to trade from 10am to 6pm.

Additional managed opening hours outside of the 10am to 6pm period for key workers and vulnerable shoppers will also be allowed.

This is due to the former Derry City Council area having previously being designated a holiday resort which therefore allows stores over 280 sq metres2 in the city to trade for extended hours for up to 18 Sundays a year over the Spring and summer months.

A Council spokesperson said: “Please note that any restrictions that may be in place under the Coronavirus Regulations during this period, take precedence and must be complied with and that the relaxed trading hours do not apply to Easter Sunday whereby the normal trading hours of 1pm-6pm apply.”

Interested businesses have been urged to apply online at: www.derrystrabane.com/Licensing/Sunday-TradingMany traders across the north west on both sides of the border remain closed as they are deemed nonessential while government lockdown measures and restrictions north and south remain in place.

This week the Chamber of commerce in Derry called for clarity, dates and guidance for reopening and warned that local traders were at their lowest ebb, after a year in which many have only been able to open for a matter of days. Others have not been able to open at all in 2021.

The Journal launched a support local campaign last year to encourage people to support traders during the periods when they are allowed to reopen.