BELFAST city councillors have clashed over a pilot scheme looking at extending Sunday trading hours.

At a full council meeting on Thursday evening, councillors debated the proposal, which would allow shops to open from 10am on Sunday during the six-week pilot period.

A proposal to push forward with the plans was opposed first by SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite who called for the issue to be brought back to Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

"The proposal only stands to benefit major companies and multinationals and not small local businesses," he stated.

DUP Alderman Dean McCullough agreed on the "rare occasion" with the SDLP and said you either stand with workers and small businesses or you don’t.

Alliance councillor Sam Nelson said he welcomed the discussion around the issue and spoke in favour of extended hours.

"I believe it can have a positive impact in Belfast on a Sunday morning, good for families, businesses and tourists," he said. "Sunday mornings are a problem for us. There are very few people around and we need something to animate it. We should all work together to get something that benefits everyone in the city."

Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin reminded councillors that there was no vote immediately on the issue.

"There is no vote on this tonight. This is about advancing a consultation on the issue. We want to engage and then come back."

Green Party councillor Áine Groogan said she was left confused by discussing it.

"I don’t understand what aim is being served by this discussion. On one hand, I am hearing there are loads of people walking around with nowhere to go and others say there is nobody in the city centre on a Sunday so which one is it? As for tourism, what tourists want to walk into a big multinational shop that they can get in their own hometown?"

SDLP councillor Donal Lyons said Belfast City Council has more "pilots than Easyjet".

"The point of a debate is to move something forward and we haven’t moved this forward in any way shape of form over the last decade," he said. "We are calling this a pilot programme."

He added: "If retail workers are expected to sacrifice their time off with loved ones, they should be paid a premium wage."

A vote to bring the issue back to Committee was defeated by 32 votes to 25.

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, who addressed councillors at the start of the meeting is against the proposal.

Speaking on Friday, he said: “This was a useful engagement with the Council, and we look forward to playing a full role in the discussions to animate Sunday mornings in the city.

“At the meeting we recommended that the Council establish a Sunday Morning working group to include business representatives, trade unions, arts groups and other key stakeholders to agree an inclusive way forward and a plan for the summer months.

“The remit of this group should be wider than just the city centre and include all parts of the city in a new plan for Sunday morning.

“To completely deregulate Sunday trading and create another normal shopping day shows a poverty of ambition and ideas for the city. It is an idea that belongs to the past and not to a modern progressive 21st century city."