A new wetland will be built near a rural village after the bid was approved by councillors.
An area of land of more than 17 hectares - the equivalent of 32 football pitches - will be turned into a wildlife haven near the village of Guist.
The application by housing developers Persimmon Homes, which has plans to build hundreds of homes in the area, was unanimously approved by Breckland Council members on Tuesday.
It is hoped it will help improve water quality in the River Wensum and create a wildlife haven that will improve biodiversity.
The wetland is part of an effort to create several in the county which experts hope will 'soak up' - or 'neutralise' - harmful pollution generated by new housing to prevent it from ending up in Norfolk's rivers.
It is thought the site will store the same amount of phosphate levels produced by 600 homes a year.
Michelle Baker, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Anglia said: “We’re very proud of the new wetland that we are going to create in Guist, which will unlock much-needed new homes in the area and improve water quality.
“As a business, we take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously, and I am delighted that we have brought forward a high-quality, nature-based solution that offers so many environmental benefits.
“We’ll be starting work on the new wetland early next year and look forward to its completion by early Summer.”
The wetland will be built on land to the south of the Norwich/Fakenham Road (A1067) to the south and southeast of Guist.
READ MORE: Calls to halt sale of six acres of hospital land to developers
The project would create three ponds through which the flow of water from the Foulsham tributary of the River Wensum would be diverted via a dam or small weir.
Persimmon Homes says it will improve water quality downstream and allow it to deliver new home schemes in the river catchment area.
READ MORE: Council leader attacks nutrient neutrality rules
It was approved by a unanimous vote and was widely supported by councillors and environmental groups.
Although there were concerns that it would not do enough to protect the River Wensum against pollution.
Chairman of Breckland Council planning committee, Nigel Wilkin, called it a "good news story" for a change.
"We are not just covering the district in concrete - we also welcome this type of scheme coming forward."
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