Church told to support Sunday trading

The Government has appealed to the Church of England to support plans to relax Sunday trading laws, writes Katherine Backler.

In a letter to bishops on Wednesday, Brandon Lewis, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, claimed that extending Sunday hours would help keep high streets as “the heartbeat of our communities”.

According to plans revealed in a consultation also launched on Wednesday, local authorities will be able to exclude large, out-of-town supermarkets from proposed relaxations in order to give high-street shops an advantage. At present, shops with more than 3,000 square feet of floor space are allowed to open for no more than six hours on Sundays.
The Church of England has said it will respond to the letter and to the consultation.

A spokesperson said: “The Church of England has always maintained that a common day of rest is important for family life, for community life and for personal well-being.”

Trade union leaders have also expressed concerns about the proposed changes.