Belfast City Council is to look at a proposal for a pilot scheme which will extend Sunday trading hours in the city.
During a meeting of the council’s strategic policy and resources committee on Friday, Alliance councillor Sam Nelson proposed a plan for the pilot scheme.
The committee agreed to a report looking into the details of the proposal, on a vote with 18 in favour and one against.
A decision will be taken on the pilot scheme at a future meeting.
The scheme would use existing legislation to allow a six week-long “relaxation” of opening restrictions, which would facilitate earlier trading hours on a Sunday.
A report will be brought back to the committee with detailed plans on what the pilot scheme would look like, including a public awareness campaign aligned with “family-friendly animation”.
However, the proposal was not universally welcomed by all the parties.
Green councillor Áine Groogan said she believed any extension of trading hours would be “anti-worker”.
“I don’t believe there is any need for this,” she said. “I understand the issues around our city centre, and the need for more animation, particularly around the weekend and for families.
“That is not going to be achieved by allowing large multinational retailers to open longer on a Sunday.
“It needs to be pointed out that the majority of shops in our city centre are allowed to open on Sundays, but they choose not to.
“The idea that we somehow need to continually have more time for buying more things, that rampant consumerism is somehow going to lift our city centre, is based on an outdated economic theory that has been proved wrong.”
Ms Groogan added that a study “showed 92% of Belfast workers opposed extension of Sunday trading hours”.
DUP councillor Sarah Bunting said the putting a pilot scheme in place “that the majority of retail workers are against would be madness”.
SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite successfully proposed that any report on the pilot would also consider the “car-free Sunday” model for street animation, and the possibility of stretching events such as Open Botanic across the city.
Mr Nelson said after the committee meeting that the existing protection of workers’ rights “must remain at the centre of considerations around any amendment to trading hours legislation”.
“That’s why we have proposed this as a pilot scheme, so we can assess both the impact and the benefits, and we can make future decisions around Sunday trading hours based on evidence,” added the Alliance councillor.
“It would be our preference that any pilot scheme would take place in the run up to Christmas, however this is not possible within existing legislation.
“I’m glad the committee has also agreed to write to the Minister about reviewing such legislation with a view to making it more flexible.
“This is about guaranteeing freedom and choice for businesses and residents alike, whilst also increasing footfall to our city centre.”