<p>The Covid-19 lockdown has significantly impacted Countryside’s volumes, profit and margin, it said today (December 3), as it announced the intended separation of its Housebuilding business and the departure of chairman David Howell following reported shareholder pressure.</p> <p>Issuing its results for the year to September 30 2020, the home builder and regeneration partner said its revenue fell 31% to £988.8 million against FY 2019, with operating profit dropping 77% to £54.2 million.</p> <p><span>Total completions during the year decreased 29% to 4,053 homes. </span><span>Countryside said the fall was caused by the closure of its sites from March 25 to May 11, delaying the production of more than 2,000 homes that were planned for delivery in the final quarter of the year. </span></p><p></p> <p>This deficit, it added, would be compensated for in H1 2021 with the completion of these homes, which had contributed to its “strong” private forward order book <span>as of September 30 2020,</span> rising 119% to £528 million against 2019.</p><p>The group’s private average selling price was slightly down at £364,000 against 2019’s £367,000, caused by “some deflation” in its Housebuilding division which was offset by a shift mix within its Southern Partnerships business.</p> <p>Completions in Housebuilding fell 36% to 840 …