A plea for a 12-month pause on pollution regulations which have left plans for thousands of homes in Norfolk in limbo has been rejected by the government.
Anxious council leaders had asked ministers Michael Gove and George Eustice to intervene over a directive from government advisors Natural England which has stalled development across the region.
Councils were told they must not grant planning permission for any schemes involving 'overnight accommodation' within catchment areas of the Broads and River Wensum, until they could prove developments would not lead to more nutrients flowing into waterways, where they cause pollution.
Norfolk council leaders Alan Waters (Norwich City Council), Shaun Vincent (Broadland) and John Fuller (South Norfolk) had written to the government asking that the measures be put on hold for a year, or special dispensation granted for major developments.
But Whitehall officials have refused to do so, although, in their letter back to the council leaders, they agreed "not issuing or delaying planning decisions for housing is not a sustainable economic and social position".
The letter essentially told councils they need to work with Natural England to come up with mitigation solutions - and consultants brought in by the councils at a cost of £75,000 are now doing that.
A spokesperson for the county's council said: "Consultants Royal HaskoningDHV have been appointed and are currently mapping the catchments and producing a nutrient calculator for each one – taking into account local circumstances.
"This will then be agreed with Natural England. We are also collectively working on short-term mitigation measures, in order to try to get those planning services currently on hold back up and running across Norfolk.
"Resolving this issue is high priority for us all, we understand the impact it is having and we are working at pace to find solutions."
It comes as around 250 people attended a forum for agents of developers at The Halls in Norwich this week, where council officers talked about the issue and answered questions.
The city council has expressed optimism solutions will be found and is hoping a decision on the 1,100 home application for Anglia Square can be made in the autumn.
Mitigation measures might include creating new wetlands, land use change or retrofitting drainage systems - but that all comes at a cost.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here