Retail licences
Licences/registrations are required for some retail activities, eg sale of alcohol, street trading, animal welfare etc.
In addition, we register any premises that wish to trade on a Sunday which do not fall in to one of the exempt categories.
Sunday Trading
Following the introduction of the Sunday Trading Act in 1994 there have been no restrictions on shopping hours - apart from Sundays. All shops are now able to open without restrictions between Monday and Saturday.
Restrictions on opening times on Sundays are now confined to large shops (defined under the Act as those having an internal sales area of over 280sq.m). The critical consideration is the floor area definition, which is clarified as meaning the part of the shop within a building that is used for display of goods and customer services. Please note that if your shop is smaller than 280sq.m, then registration is not required.
Large shops must:
be registered with us for trading on a Sunday
specify the six hours of trading on a Sunday which must be between 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
provide a sign visible both internally and externally specifying the times of trading
They are required to remain closed on Easter Sunday (and on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday).
We keep a public register of the large shops operating in our area on Sundays- this can be viewed at the District Council Offices.
Small shops are not covered by these restrictions and can open freely. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 includes specific measures to protect the rights of shop workers who do not wish to work on Sunday. Apart from the restrictions mentioned above, it is left to individual owners to determine their opening hours in the light of customer demand.
The following premises (both large and small) are exempt from Sunday trading registration requirements:
Public houses
Off licences and take away food shops
Airport shops
Chemist/pharmacies
Shops in railway stations
Exhibit stands
Farm shops
Service areas and petrol filling stations
Motor accessory shops
Contact Us
For further information and details of how to register your premises contact:
Licensing Section
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Town Hall
Bank Road
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3NN