“Large shops (those with a relevant floor area of over 280 square metres / 3,000 square feet) have restricted opening hours on a Sunday, but smaller shops can open all day. This consultation seeks views on whether the Government should devolve Sunday trading rules as part of its localism agenda in order to give local areas greater control of their local economy and improve the well-being of local citizens”

The consultation gives two possible options for achieving this:

• Devolving powers to local areas, for example to metro mayors, through ‘devolution deals’; and/or
• Devolving powers to Local Authorities more generally across England and Wales.

Restrictions on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day would remain extant, as would any restrictions applied as a condition of planning permission, unless it was specifically amended in order to reflect wider local relaxation of Sunday Trading restrictions.

Issued on 5 August and closing the statutory 6 weeks later on 16 September the consultation document asks 4 surprisingly simple questions:

Question 1: Should local areas have the power to extend trading hours on Sunday?
Question 2: If the power is devolved, who do you think should be given the power to change Sunday trading rules?
Question 3: How would you be impacted by local changes to Sunday trading rules?
Question 4: Where did you hear about this consultation?

Annex B of the consultation document contains a simple mainly tick box and comment response proforma which is also available and can be completed online.

The consultation document is available at:

Consultation on devolving Sunday trading rules in England and Wales