A council leader has assured local people they will still have control over the growth of housing in their area, even if their community soon falls into one of the government's new 'investment zones'.
Breckland Council's Conservative leader Sam Chapman-Allen told a Thetford resident at a meeting on Monday that his authority would still have the final say when it came to deciding on planning applications - despite the government's promise to relax the rules in place in particular areas covered by the zones.
The new investment zones are proposed to cover up to 38 areas across the country and Norfolk has been invited to submit a bid to create one.
It is understood that the A11 corridor, including Wymondham, Attleborough and Thetford, is being eyed up by Whitehall as the preferred location.
But Mr Chapman-Allen insisted that the new rules would "not be a top-down exercise" - and would be shaped collaboratively.
"At this moment in time, there is some misinformation that this is just a blank canvas for anybody to do what they like... and this is not the case," he said.
The government has not yet specified how the planning rules would be relaxed.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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