Whenever you find yourself against the brick wall of any bureaucracy then telephone calls are not to be trusted. Do everything in writing to create a record. Regulation and rules cannot be made up at whim by anyone however senior they may be. You either can or cannot exchange the licence. If the CAA say that now you cannot exchange your licence but could before they must present the regulation change or fulfil your application.
Unfortunately nowadays there never is anyone who has the willingness to make a decision. Desk shuffling and 'lying by omission' in order to procrastinate are a sign of our times as ever were. My thoughts are to get on with it and employ a solicitor if it is not resolved quickly. It doesn't seem a matter for you whether you hold the old brown licence format or the new sheet of paper format. That's the CAA's problem to resolve not you. Group A, EASA types or Part-21 are just names that mean the same thing. Their only problem is to decide what cabinet they can file it.
Last edited by Fl1ingfrog; 30th May 2021 at 09:29.