8 December 2020
Boost for high street as opening hours for Christmas shopping are extended
Retailers will be able to extend their daily opening hours from Monday to Saturday in the run up to Christmas and through January.
In a much-needed boost for the high street, retailers will be able to extend their daily opening hours from Monday to Saturday in the run up to Christmas and through January, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced today (30 November 2020).
From Wednesday 2 December, as England returns to a system of tiered restrictions, all non-essential retail across England will be able to reopen, and planning rules limiting opening hours will be eased to allow shops to be open for longer Monday to Saturday.
While being a boost to business, these measures will help ease transport pressures and make socially distanced shopping easier by giving people greater flexibility to choose when they shop and avoid peak times.
The majority of shop owners have already made their premises Covid-secure. Allowing retailers to extend their opening hours from Monday to Saturday will mean an even safer shopping experience in the run up to Christmas and through the January sales, when shops are usually much busier.
This builds on the extra government support to help businesses and protect jobs. Including an extension of the furlough scheme at 80% until the end of March, grants of up to £3,000 for premises that must close, and £1.1 billion for councils to enable them to support businesses in their area.
If councils suspect shops are not upholding the high Covid-secure standards set by the government since the beginning of the pandemic, they have the power to take action in order to keep the public safe.
Shoppers also have an important role to play in keeping everyone safe. Customers should:
- maintain social distancing and adopt “hands/space/face”
- follow safety advice inside and outside shops
- consider when they shop and take advance of extended opening hours - try to avoid peak times where possible and don’t leave it all to the last minute
- respect our hardworking shopworkers
The government continues to work closely with councils, retailers and Public Health England to plan for a safe reopening of shops.
Further information
Under the government’s new tiered restrictions, in every tier, all shops will be allowed to reopen, giving people the opportunity to shop in person for gifts for family and friends during the festive season.
Restrictions may be imposed by individual local authorities when they grant planning permission for individual stores. Typically, such conditions limit the opening hours that a business may trade, for example, from 9am to 7pm unless a separate arrangement is agreed in writing with the relevant local planning authority.
In normal circumstances, a retailer would need to apply to remove or vary such a condition under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This can be a lengthy process, taking several weeks or more.
The measures announced today make it clear to local planning authorities that they should take a positive approach when engaging with retailers who wish to extend their retail opening hours and look to relaxing local restrictions where possible.
