A new levy could be introduced on housing developers to unlock thousands of new homes while helping protect nature in Norfolk.
The county has been picked as a testbed for a new government initiative to tackle the impact of pollution on waterways from new housing developments.
It comes after a previous directive by government advisors Natural England which stalled decisions over hundreds of new homes in the county.
That was because councils were told they could not approve housing schemes until developers showed they could mitigate for the impact of wastewater from their schemes on the River Wensum and the Norfolk Broads.
The 2022 directive sought to achieve nutrient neutrality amid concerns that nutrients created by development could go into waterways and harm species.
It left councils scrabbling to find ways whereby housebuilders could offset pollution which included developers paying for credits for mitigation measures.
Those measures included a farmer being paid £1m not to allow pigs to be kept on a field near two rivers to avoid their waste ending up in the water and free septic tanks for homeowners.
But now, the government's mooted Environmental Delivery Plan in Norfolk - the first place in the country where that has been proposed - would take away those piecemeal mitigation measures.
Instead, developers would pay a levy which would be used to fund large scale improvements to rivers and wetlands across the county - home to species such as otters, water voles and wetland birds.
The money generated would be administered by Natural England and used to deliver conservation measures, including in the Norfolk Broads.
The area earmarked for new homes and nature restoration includes the River Wensum, Bure Broads and Marshes, and Yare Broads and Marshes catchments.
The consultation is open for 28 working days, and Natural England is inviting responses before it is submitted for the government to take the final decision.
Environment secretary Angela Eagle said: "People know there's a housing crisis and that we must build more homes to tackle it.
"But people also want to live in communities they can be proud of, with thriving green spaces everyone can enjoy.
"Our plans are a win-win for development and nature, unlocking thousands of new homes and raising millions to improve our natural environment."
Marian Spain, Natural England chief executive, said: "Instead of tackling pollution piecemeal, site by site, we can now deliver conservation measures that make a real difference for rivers, wetlands and wildlife across Norfolk."
However, the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Land Management questioned the feasibility of the scheme.
Sally Hayns, the institute's chief executive, said: "We applaud the government's ambition to deliver a win-win for development and the environment in Norfolk.
"However, in its current form, this proposal is unfeasible and unfit: for developers, for communities and for waterways already choked by nutrient pollution.
"You wouldn't fix a leak in your roof by putting in a new set of windows. The growing threat of nutrient pollution goes completely unaddressed by the majority of measures.
"The plan also fails to seize real opportunities, like mandating sustainable drainage and water efficiency in new homes in Norfolk - measures that would stop pollution at source and reduce flood risk and water stress for communities.
"We stand ready to work with the government to ensure this mechanism delivers real nature recovery, which is the baseline for good development, not a blocker."
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