Facts
Florian Lachat wishes to establish a driver training and road safety center, also intended for leisure activities (Centre Safety Car), in the canton of Jura. After identifying 18 potential sites within the cantonal territory, the site "Sur la Charmille" in the municipality of Vendlincourt has been selected. The special zoning plan "Sur la Charmille" has been subject to an adoption procedure by the municipality of Vendlincourt and approval by the Cantonal Service for Spatial Planning (SAT).
Helvetia Nostra and others have appealed against the SAT's approval decision. The Cantonal Court has rejected the appeal, with the exception of a modification of the prohibition on motor sports competitions and events. Helvetia Nostra and others have then filed a public law appeal with the Federal Court.
Considerations
The Federal Court has upheld the appeal and annulled the judgment of the Cantonal Court as well as the special zoning plan "Sur la Charmille". It has considered that the Centre Safety Car project, due to its scale and significant impacts on spatial organization, should have been addressed within the framework of the cantonal structure plan.
Indeed, the Federal Court has ruled that the project, with its 15-hectare footprint, 3-km track, infrastructure, and a budget of 12 million Swiss francs, as well as its ambition to become a regional or even national center of expertise in driver training and road safety, has extensive and lasting effects on land use, urbanization, and the environment. Furthermore, it required significant coordination between various conflicting interests (nature and environmental protection, land use, compliance with the…