Mepa has made a leap in efficiency this year, processing "the absolute majority" of each planning application within 12 weeks, as promised in the reform process, according to it chairman Austin Walker.

Giving the press an annual review of the authority's work, Mr Walker said this year was dedicated to the successful implementation of the reform.

Mepa is now planning to process even the most complex planning applications within 12 weeks, even though the reform's target was 26 weeks, Mr Walker added.

Comparing the authority to a referee in a football game, he said it was expected that contentious decisions were contested by those who they affected negatively. However, he was confident that even the most difficult decisions were taken diligently by Mepa.

Although fewer development applications were being filed, Mr Walker said the reasons behind this were complex and could not simply be pinned down to higher prices.

Applications now go through a screening process to ensure that all the necessary information is there before they are filed.

"There is none of the rubbish we used to see before clogging up the system," Mr Walker said.

CEO Ian Stafrace explained that Mepa has also changed the system by which it was financed by the government.

Instead of asking the government to make up its annual shortfall, Mepa is now costing the services it provides to government, and invoicing the services accordingly.

Mepa provides a number of services to the government in terms of environmental monitoring, enforcement and consultancy.

In this way, the government would allocate the funds it gives to Mepa based on what it would have to fork out if it did the work itself or outsources elsewhere. This also helped  ensure accountability and transparency internally, Dr Stafrace said.

Dr Stafrace also pointed out that the Mepa enforcement directorate  this year issued 600 enforcement letters and carried out more than 50 "direct actions".