It's frustrating but at my University at least, it seems like
@cuccir is right - although I am a student I am involved in a number of meetings with staff at my University including some staff who are on our executive board. One of these senior members told us that our Uni is planning for 1.5 metre social distancing advice to be in place still in September (she didn't give a reason, nor did she explain this as opposed to either 1 metre or 2), but are planning Semester 1 first rather than the year as a whole, to give increased flexibility as we move into Jan 2022. I suspect
@cuccir has it spot on in terms of OfS requirements and complaints handling - better to underpromise and overdeliver.
For what it's worth, I'm desperate to get back to in person too. Our campus has remained open since the 4th January in terms of libraries, cafes and study spaces, which I suppose is something, but I haven't had anything taught in person since early November.
I don't think that people will decide not to go back after Easter as suggested upthread - in fact, a few people I've spoken to who didn't return after Christmas are now intending on coming back up after Easter to make use of some of the last weeks of this academic year. I will be returning later this week, and we will have a full house by this time next week. My friends are all returning too and I expect our student area to be almost as busy as it would in a normal year.
Out of interest, I had some figures in terms of occupancy in Term 2 (Jan-March) - of our University-owned halls of residence, there were approximately 40-50% of students who had returned (think this range was dependent on whether it was self-catered, catered or both that were being considered), and in our student area, it was estimated that approximately 70% of students were back.
I'd like the unis to communicate that to us early on so that we would have the option to take a year out and find another gig for those months.
I think that they will: those Office for Students cases will encourage management to take more decisive action earlier. However, I suspect they'll also encourage management to take more cautious action.
They need to speak up once they've made their decision - although I am firmly on the side of everything else is planning on the basis that restrictions will be eased June 21st yet Universities are planning as if three months later, we will still be in the same situation, and it's their inability to explain this situation to students that might start causing issues for them.