A PROPOSAL to extend Sunday trading hours in Belfast would have a "critical impact" on small independent stores Retail NI has warned.
A two-month Belfast City Council consultation on whether large shops should be allowed to extend their Sunday opening hours closes on Friday.
A favourable response would see Belfast designated as a 'holiday resort' and allow major retailers such as Asda and Tesco to open all day on up to 18 Sundays in any calendar year between 1 March and 30 September.
Several towns across the north have already been designated as holiday resorts including Derry, Newry, Kilkeel, Portrush, Portstewart and Ballycastle.
Under the current law shops with more than 280 square metres of retail floor space are only allowed to open for a maximum of five hours on Sundays between 1pm and 6pm, whereas smaller retailers can open all day.
Retail NI, a group made up of over 1,300 members including independent traders said it had "serious concerns" about the proposal.
"It will essentially deregulate Sunday trading, allowing large supermarkets to open all day, for eighteen Sundays a year. This will have a critical impact on small independent local stores who trade on Sunday mornings," chief executive Glyn Roberts warned.
“Large multinational supermarkets already have an unfair competitive advantage over independent retailers with free car parking in out of centre locations. The few hours trading our members have on Sundays before the multinationals open at 1pm are absolutely vital to the survival of their businesses. The current Sunday trading laws are already a compromise and we see no need for widespread change.”
Retail NI said that 'holiday resort' status would not support the Belfast Tourism Strategy, rather it would simply allow large businesses to trade for longer hours at the expense of small retail businesses and the high street.
The move to extend Sunday opening hours has been strongly encouraged by the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, which has lauded its potential economic benefits.
Speaking last year chamber member Paul McMahon said the plans made practical sense.
"There are already industries that have people in work at that time of the day anyway and it's a very small change to the current standard practice," he said.
Belfast City Council has said through the consultation it hopes to find out if the plans would be beneficial for the local economy, before making any decision.
"We’re not reviewing any existing laws. We’re simply exploring whether or not to designate the council area as a holiday resort under existing legislation. We want to find out if this is likely to benefit the local economy and the tourism industry in particular," they said.
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