Clarion is the latest housing developer to halt work on high-rises due to uncertainty over proposed new rules requiring second staircases.

Richard Cook, group director of development, told Housing Today the housing association giant has 15 schemes above 30m in height where work is now “moving at a snails pace or not moving”.

Cook said: “Those schemes equate to more than 2,000 affordable homes that we could be building but we can’t.” Cook added these were “oven-ready” schemes with planning approval in place.