Facts
F. and G. are co-owners of a plot located in the village B zone of the municipality of Bremblens. Together with I. Sàrl and H. Sàrl, they have submitted a building permit application for the construction of three residential buildings with an underground parking on this plot. The project has prompted several objections from owners of neighboring plots (A. and others), particularly regarding the planned access via the Roffens path and the number of parking spaces.
The municipal authorities have lifted the objections and issued the building permit, while specifying that the developers undertook to improve their project regarding the parking spaces and access. A. and others have appealed this decision to the Cantonal Tribunal, which has dismissed their appeals.
A. and others have then brought the case before the Federal Tribunal, contesting in particular the entry into force, on May 1, 2014, of the amendments to the Federal Spatial Planning Act (LAT) of June 15, 2012, which they considered to constitute a significant change in circumstances justifying a review of the zoning plan.
Considerations
According to case law, the incidental or prejudicial review of a zoning plan within the framework of a procedure relating to an implementation act is in principle excluded. Such a review is nevertheless admitted, exceptionally, when the conditions for a review of the plans within the meaning of Art. 21 para. 2 LAT are met and the public interest in maintaining the restrictions imposed on the owners concerned by the planning may have disappeared.
The reduction of oversized zones is a matter of significant public interest, which may take precedence over the public interest in the stability of the plans as well as over the private interests of the owners concerned. However, the entry into force of the…