AHRC Submission Blackout in February

What is it with the AHRC and submission blackouts? Last year, with their move to Swindon, they didn't accept applications for three months. Now, as they shift their operations over to the ill-fated Shared Services Centre, they will not be accepting applications between 4 pm on 28 Jan - 1 March. In addition they'll be running slowly when they reopen after 1 March.
It's strange that none of the other Research Councils have suffered similar disruption - for instance the EPSRC are talking about slight delays in processing, but pretty much business as normal.
One would think that these changes could have been planned for. It reminds me of Harry Enfield's Double Take Brothers, who always seemed to be taken by surprise by the obvious. I shudder to think what the AHRC would do if something really unexpected happened. Implode?