Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar praised what it said was "a changing mentality" at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
In a statement it said the public were now able to take a much more active role in the processing of permits, where in the past registered objectors were often not allowed to speak at hearings.
"This is a very important step in favour of public participation in environmental and heritage matters. "
Mepa reform was also working in favour of greater sensitivity in urban and heritage protection.
FAA said Mepa recently resisted very strong pressure from hundreds of parents in refusing to grant a permit to build the St Augustine School junior school in the garden of a scheduled old Gwardamangia villa.
"Government's proposal to use the former medical school premises follows the new policy to first use or redevelop existing buildings, rather than build on open land."
The environmental group said this week, Mepa's Environment and Planning Commissions refused other projects which would have most likely been accepted in the past.
EPC A refused an application to build residences within a development zone, once the Qala Council and FAA proved that this site bordering an Out of Development Zone was part of a major water catchment area supplying 28 farmers with water throughout summer.
EPC B refused an application to demolish a house in Sacred Heart Avenue, St Julian's, one of a row of five certified to be excellent examples of colonial architecture.
FAA also maintained that this demolition would destroy the large old back gardens that formed a green lung in the area. Although this house was within the development zone, the Commission decided that the "floor area, massing, building depth and site coverage is of an excessive scale and would lead to an over development of the site. This would not be in the interest of the amenity of the area and would increase the problem of over-development."
FAA said it was surprised that the board chairman was the only one to vote against Mepa's Heritage Protection Unit and the Cultural Heritage Advisory board's recommendation to protect the site.
"The changing mentality at MEPA is further illustrated by the Mepa board session on the building of a seven-storey block of shops and 21 apartments at Spinola Bay, St Julian's.
MEPA's Major Projects Unit had recommended approval of this seven-storey block in an Urban Conservation three-storey area.
It was claimed that the building height should be calculated from half way up a public flight of steps and not from street level.
A regulation that applied only to Sliema was used in this St Julian's case, while the vista from the church square, designated as a protected view by Mepa, was to be lost.
FAA strongly objected to all these issues and Mepa chairman Austin Walker drew the board's attention to various issues, including the congestion of buildings in the area and traffic problems.
He also questioned the building's aesthetics and finally deferred the decision due to pending permits for the felling of trees in the Villa Fieres garden and other issues.
FAA urged Mepa to go the extra mile and fulfil best planning practice while giving the same importance to environmental issues, by commissioning an Environment Impact Assessment to assess the best possible options for the Spinola area where five major projects were planned to take place.