Residential developer Urban & Civic said it expected to see reduced numbers of planning consents given to proposed housing schemes as local authorities grapple with how to hold planning committee meeting under lockdown.

But there was good news for its Rugby secondary school designed by van Heyningen & Haward, which has secured £35m from the Department of Education, and a 6,500-home scheme near Cambridge masterplanned by Fletcher Priest.

Citing the physical challenges of putting together planning meetings when committee members are supposed to be keeping 2m apart, it said the number of applications approved would see a “substantial” fall over the next few months, before picking up again at the mid-year point.

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