By Shops to open 24 hours over Christmas
Shops in England will be allowed to trade 24 hours a day over Christmas and in January, a cabinet minister has said.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick made the announcement as the high street tries to recover losses suffered during the pandemic.
Retailers normally have to go through a lengthy process to apply to local authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act if they wish to extend hours outside 9am to 7pm.
Local authorities will be able to temporarily waive the rules restricting retail opening hours.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Robert Jenrick said the relaxation of the rules would allow shopping to be “more pleasant and safer”.
Shopkeepers and councils would decide how long stores stay open, he added.
Primark has become one of the first to say that it will take advantage of the new rules.
The clothing retailer plans to open 11 of its stores for 24 hours when they are allowed to begin trading again once England’s lockdown is lifted on Wednesday.
The new rules would run from Monday to Saturday.
“None of us, I suspect, enjoys navigating the crowds, and none would relish that when social distancing is so important to controlling the virus,” Mr Jenrick wrote.
“These changes mean your local shops can open longer, ensuring more pleasant and safer shopping, with less pressure on public transport.”
Mr Jenrick urged local councils to offer retailers “the greatest possible flexibility” when determining trading hours.
