Sasha Blackmore

Call: 2005

Sasha specialises in difficult, sensitive cutting-edge public law at the intersection with environmental, planning and rights-based law. Sasha also has a strong reputation internationally in marine work.

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Practice summary

Planning

Public and Administrative

Environment

Cross-practice

Practice Summary

Sasha has appeared at all levels up to the Supreme Court and has extensive experience of judicial review proceedings, statutory appeals and planning inquiries. Sasha appears regularly in the Administrative Court and the Planning Court. The directories' comment that Sasha is "incredibly client focused, accessible and extremely personable whilst diligent and forensic in detail.”

Sasha has a particular interest in environmental-related matters in public and planning law, and spent time on a Pegasus scholarship in Australia and New Zealand examining their system of environmental and planning courts. Sasha has also been a Trustee and Director of Forum for the Future and has been a Trustee and Director of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association as a member of the Governing Council.

Sasha spent her first year of tenancy as a Judicial Assistant to the Law Lords (Lord Scott of Foscote, Baroness Hale of Richmond and Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury), working on cases before both the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords and the Privy Council. She gained substantial experience of appellate advocacy and judicial practice during that year. Cases she worked on in the House of Lords as a judicial assistant included, R v. London Borough of Bromley, ex parte Barker [2006] UKHL 52 and Belfast City Council v Miss Behavin Limited [2007] UKHL 19.

In September 2020, Sasha was appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel. She is also one of a small number of barristers appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel Counsel in 2019.

Sasha Notable cases include:

Interpretations of planning permissions

  • Lambeth v SSHCLG [2019] UKSC 33 - Sasha acted in leading Supreme Court case on the interpretation of planning permissions
  • Dunnett v SSCLG [2017] EWCA Civ 192 - Sasha acted in leading Court of Appeal case on the interpretation of a planning condition to exclude the GPDO/UCO.

Housing

  • Jelson v SSCLG [ [2018] EWCA Civ 24] (sole Counsel below) - Sasha acted in important Court of Appeal cases on “five year housing land supply” (“5YHLS”) and in the “East Bergholt” line of cases.
  • R(East Bergholt PC )(No. 2) v Babergh DC [2019] EWCA Civ 2200 - Sasha acted in the Court of Appeal on permission to appeal refused by the Supreme Court. 
  • Sasha has also acted in a range of other housing cases.

Rights-based public law

  • McKay v All England Lawn Tennis Club [2020] EWCA Civ 695 - permission to appeal refused by the Supreme Court, this was an article 6 right to a fair trial, committal for breach of Order to disclose information and declaration of incompatibility. 
  • Sasha has acted in a range of licence-based cases, e.g. acted in leading case for Home Office sponsorship licence revocation R(Taste of India Ltd) v SSHD [2018] EWHC 414 (Admin) (and many other cases in this area)
  • Sasha has acted in a range of cases for Department of Education restricting school’s licences to operate e.g. most recently Promised Land v SSE [2021] UKFTT 0057 (HESC); 
  • Sasha has act for DWP in recoupment cases; A1P1 cases including a variety of fisheries cases in the High Court including R (Greenpeace) v SSEFRA [2016] EWHC 55
  • Sasha is acting in Castelucci v Gender Recognition Panel and Minister for Women and Equalities [CO/4347/2022), Article 8 case about a non-binary individual seeking gender recognition in the UK’s binary system and declaration of incompatibility (now led by Sir James Eadie) (current) in three forums
  • Sasha acted in test cases on certification for removal to an EU Member State based on Article 8/Article 3 ECHR rights and other associated Tribunal litigation (NA (Sudan) v SSHD [2016] EWCA Civ 1060.

Gypsy & Traveller

  • Recent examples include Nixon v SSHCLG [2020] EWHC 3036 - a high-profile challenge by 2 Claimants in national press (13 grounds, 19 issues and 39 sub-issues).

Planning and National Security work

  • Crest Nicholson v West Berkshire DC and Secretary of State for Defence and others [2021] EWHC 289 (Admin) [2021] 2 WLUK 193 - a significant challenge by major housebuilders to the increased protection zone around an important nuclear military asset.
  • Sasha also does other national security work.

Marine, Harbour, and Water law

  • R.( Tarian Hafren Severn Shield Cyf) v MMO [2022] EWHC 683 - a challenge to the construction of Hinckley Point C, the first nuclear power station in a generation
  • Thomson v MMO [2019] EWHC 2368 - a high-profile challenge across national media to the regeneration of Dover Port related to dredging in the “Goodwin Sands” off of Dover
  • The “Powell” line of cases challenging major development in Brighton Marina, including the important [2017] EWHC 1491 on actionable interferences with public rights of navigation, and [2015] EWCA Civ 650 whether Private Act provided continuing powers.

International marine work

  • Sasha is acting in multi-billion international environmental fisheries adjudications in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and North Sea in London, New York, Dubai and Madrid (subject of Netflix documentary (Seaspiracy) & Select Committee inquiry)
  • Sasha is acting in cases on revocation of the UK “flag” on vessels
  • Sasha acted in R(Guernsey) v SSEFRA [2016]EWHC 1847 - an important case about the scope of improper motive and fisheries policies between the UK Government and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Planning

Sasha advises on all aspects of planning and compulsory purchase law and appears regularly in the High Court, Court of Appeal and inquiries and hearings.

Over the past five years, Sasha has developed particular expertise in housing cases particularly High Court challenges and advising on matters relating to a five year housing land supply. She was instructed in one of the first cases to have considered the operation of s.106B of the TCPA 1990. Sasha also has a range of experience in enforcement cases, ranging from enforcement inquiries to obtaining a committal order. Her clients include major institutions, local authorities, central Government, major housebuilders, and small and large NGOs.

Sasha also has a marine practice in planning law, having advised on marine aspects of DCOs, and acts regularly for the MMO in relation to marine licences for planning developments (and other development).

Sasha frequently advises local authorities on planning law claims which have been issued against them. She gives practical advice as to the prospects of success, recognising when a case should be robustly defended and where it is in a council’s best interests to concede swiftly or reach other appropriate settlement, limiting costs. In 2015-2016 for example, a number of cases have been conceded on her advice at an early stage with no order for costs against the Local Authority concerned, and other cases potential claimants have not issued claims on receipt of the defendant’s response to the pre-action protocol letter before claim. Local authorities Sasha has advised since 2015 include Bath and North East Somerset, St Albans, Southwark, Camden, Stroud, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Maldon.

Sasha advises on a wide range of planning matters. 

Notable advisory work includes:

  • Advising major land-owner on multi-billion controversial plan for infrastructure to support net zero ambitions
  • Advising developer on new garden village development of 15,000 homes with contested Gypsy &Traveller relocation
  • Other Gypsy & Traveller work
  • Advising in multiple complex cases of interpretation of planning consents on schemes seeking challenging development including major business estates in London and the South East (owners and local authorities)
  • Advising in complex enforcement cases of major mixed-use or composite sites (for owners and local authorities)
  • Advising in flood-risk cases (owners and authorities)
  • Advising on use of Assets of Community Value and Village Green applications (owners, applicants and public authorities
  • Advising on new Fire Safety policies in the new London Plan including acting in contested Inquiry.

Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings

Environmental inquiries:

  • Fowles Crushed Concrete Ltd APP/EPR/578. Sensitive Inquiry into one of London’s largest waste sites of significance to the Agency’s regulatory approach across England, and acted successfully in subsequent High Court challenge[CO/1538/2022] (against Richard Harwood KC in High Court)
  • Feeder Road APP/Z0116/W/21/3279920. Important inquiry for Environment Agency objecting to major development in flood zone (against John Litton KC)

Enforcement Inquiries:

  • Our Lady Roman Catholic School APP/C5690/W/20/3245112 - complex enforcement inquiry where Enforcement Notice upheld for demolition of a primary school. Successfully defeated challenge in the High Court marked as “significant” against Jonathan Jones KC
  • Complex mixed use sites e.g. acting for owner in APP/W3005/C/19/3235042 - commercial uses of residential site
  • Acting for local authority in Units B3 – B14 Suttons Business Park APP/B5480/C/20/3263118 - complex interpretation of consents in enforcement context to Ground B and C appeals
  • APP/R5510/C/19/3235757 - Gypsy and Traveller and mixed use site
  • Range of substantial waste cases e.g. APP/B5480/C/19/32364000 - a London site.

Controversial development:

  • Brunswick Centre APP/X5210/W/21/3277179) Sasha Blackmore is against Reuben Taylor KC (previously against Paul Tucker KC). Acting in a long-running and complex matter about the Brunswick Centre, now proceeding in the High Court as a “significant” planning case. The case is about whether a 2003 consent’s condition can exclude new UCO rights
  • Malmsbury Estate APP/X0360/W/19/3224329, Russian oligarch’s applications in Green Belt

Heritage Inquiries

  • Former Saville Theatre APP/X5210/W/19/3243781 (against Christopher Katkowski KC). Major high-profile Inquiry on Shaftesbury Avenue as to whether the former Theatre (of Beatles fame) should become a luxury hotel, in which the Statutory Consultee (Theatres Trust) appeared at Inquiry for the first ever time
  • Crookham Care Village APP/N1730/W/18/3216181 large housing scheme with significant impact on heritage assets and character
  • Richborough Estates APP/C1625/W/15/3133335 major housing scheme with impacts on Grade 1 listed Berkley Castle.

Housing inquiries:

  • Gondar Gardens APP/X5210/W/18/3198746, complex high-profile planning inquiry to demolish a reservoir and nature reserve for luxury housing complex, subsequently pursued in the High Court. Sasha successfully defended 16 reasons for refusal (against Sasha White KC) including the first ever successful defence on accessibility grounds
  • Other care home developments including Oakwood Methodist Church APP/Q5300/W/18/3197451 - successfully defended refusal on care home site including inadequate affordable housing contribution
  • Housing inquiries on green field development eg raising habitats issues Gladman Developments Ltd APP/U/1240/W/17/3169111GLADMAN - Sasha acted for Natural England appearing for the Local Planning Authority.

Public and Administrative

Sasha undertakes a variety of public law work which is at the heart of her practice, including central and local government, freedom of information, immigration, education, mental health, social security, prisons, transport as well as planning and environmentally-related public law. She has a long-standing interest in environmental and planning law, and her judicial review practice extends broadly to issues arising in social security law, equality and discrimination law (she is on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel).

Sasha has appeared before all levels of Appellate Court and regularly appears in the High Court in judicial review and statutory planning appeal matters, in her own right and when being led by senior counsel. Her clients include government, individuals, property developers, local authorities and NGOs. As well as her long-standing interest in environmental and planning law in this area, she also has a keen interest in education, immigration and social security/welfare rights law and has recently appeared in the Supreme Court in relation to Child Tax Credits. She has experience of all types of school appeals and has been involved in immigration appeals to the courts and a variety of First Tier and Upper Tribunal work (for both Claimants/Appellants and for the Secretary of State). She also undertakes rating work.

Notable advisory work includes:

  •  A range of A1P1 cases
  • Covid-19 Inquiry Team for Dept of Health, leading on Adult Social Care
  • Advising BEIS in complex long-running compensation schemes (£multi-million)
  • Advising Parish Councils in a range of matters; (5) Advising DWP in significant compensation and recoupment cases
  • Advising in significant rights-based cases against multiple Government bodies (led by Sir James Eadie)
  • Advising in sanctions work for the UK
  • Advising Department of Education in Mobile Phone Masts cases (conflict of domestic jurisdictions)
  • National Security work.

Other public law, including social security and education and care standards law, ratings and other public law

Sasha appears regularly for a variety of claimants and defendants in other public law matters. Her clients include individuals, small or larger local groups, Parish Councils, local government, central government, the police, companies and devolved administrations or non-departmental public bodies.

Her experience in planning and environmental-related public law work is summarised above, and also includes advisory work on assets of community value (including judicial review proceedings). This also includes information-rights based work, and Sasha has advised on both appeals to the Information Commissioner and appeals under the DPA as well as access to information under the Environmental Information Regulations.

Sasha has a particular interest in equality and the protection of the vulnerable, particularly cases impacting on women and the regulation of when professionals are able to work with children or vulnerable adults. She appears regularly for the Department of Work and Pensions in the Upper Tribunal on social security and child benefit matters, and also accepts instructions from individuals (often on a pro-bono basis) in the same area. Sasha acts regularly for the Department of Work and Pensions and also does a number of pro-bono cases a year for individual claimants.

Recent reported cases of interest in this area include Kuteh v Secretary of State for Education [2014] EWCA Civ 1586 (and successfully defending the decision in the Care Standards Tribunal in 2015 and Upper Tribunal in 2016) and a range of cases for the DWP in the Upper Tribunal, including Pirroni v DWP CE/2966/2014and Taylor and Coombs v SSWP (RNIB intervening) (judgment awaited) and cases involving child support. She also appeared for Mr Humphreys in Humphreys v HMRC [2012] UKSC 18 in the Supreme Court (led by Richard Drabble KC) as to the apportionment of Child Tax Credit for substantial minority carers on subsistence benefits on the basis of discrimination between men and women. Sasha sat on the Neuberger Entry to the Bar Working Party group, set up to try to improve access to the Bar, and is one of small number of barristers appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel Counsel in 2015.

Sasha has acted in a variety of prison law cases, for the Parole Board, and for the Police, including recent High Court challenges to a prison adjudicator’s decision about the meaning of a “fight in prison, the scope of the MoJ’s discretion to release on licence, and challenges to the police’s discretion in relation to maintaining data on its database and issuing harassment notices.

Immigration

Sasha is highly experienced in judicial review challenges to a variety of immigration matters. The majority of Sasha’s immigration practice is for the Secretary of State, but she also accepts instructions for both individuals/businesses. She is currently appearing in the Court of Appeal Italy returns litigation, led by Lisa Giovannetti KC. She appears in over a hundred oral permission hearings a year in both the High Court/Upper Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. She has significant experience in revocation of sponsorship licences, unlawful detention, fresh claims, Article 8 challenges, point based system challenges and “Third Country” removals (usually Article 2/3 based) and Gurka claims, as well as claims to entitlement to British citizenship.

Environment

In the environmental field, Sasha undertakes a range of environmental litigation and advisory work in the domestic and EU law spheres. She has particular experience of issues relating to marine licences, access to environmental information and the Aarhus Convention. Her experience includes environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, climate change, many aspects of energy projects renewables, pollution prevention and control, waste, and criminal prosecutions under the Environmental Protection Act for the Environment Agency and the Town and Country Planning Act for local authorities.

Her clients include local authorities, major companies, individuals and NGOs, as well as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Marine Management Organisation, the Department for the Environment (Northern Ireland) and Natural Resources Wales. She has appeared both in her own right on a large number of cases and inquiries and has also been lead in major applications and appeals. In environmental-related planning matters, Sasha undertakes a wide range of advisory and inquiry work. Her experience includes advertising, housing development, planning appeals including on conservation and wildlife, EIA/SEA, listed building and design grounds, as well as on village greens, compulsory purchase and gypsy appeals.

Sasha has a strong personal interest in environmental-related matters in public and planning law, and spent time on a Pegasus scholarship in Australia and New Zealand examining their system of environmental and planning courts. She has a masters’ degree in sustainable development, and was also until recently a Trustee and Director of Forum for the Future and a Trustee and Director of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association as a member of the Governing Council.

Notable advisory work includes:

  • Strategic advice in major Government Fisheries policies following EU-exit and in multiple marine matters including across Select Committee Inquires
  • Advice on the application of the precautionary principle in strategic policy
  • Advice in complex cases of animal welfare and sentience
  • Advice to Government in litigation context as to vehicle emissions standards
  • Strategic advice on international Conventions in the marine environment (e.g. OSPAR, UNCLOS, London Convention, MARPOL) 
  • Advice on Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes
  • Advice in range of Harbour matters.

Cross-practice

Landmark's barristers often work at the intersection of our core practice areas; bringing a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience to bear on a particular dispute or issue facing a client.

Our focus is always on achieving the best possible outcome for our client. By viewing the client's objectives in a holistic way - and not purely through the lens of one rigidly-defined legal area - we deliver the best possible advice and representation in complex matters that engage multiple specialist areas of law. 

Whether it's providing support as an individual cross-practice barrister or a cross-disciplinary team of Landmark counsel, we are able to draw on an outstanding array of complementary skillsets and knowledge bases. This often achieves a better result than instructing multiple barristers from different specialist sets. This also improves the quality of client care through increased levels of communication, quicker response times, and a coordinated approach to clerking and fees, made possible by our team-based cross-practice approach.

Please contact our practice management team for more information.

EU Law post-Brexit

Specialisms

Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings

Specialisms

Immigration

Education

EU Law post-Brexit

Human Rights and Civil Liberties

National Security

Social Security

Specialisms

Water

Specialisms

EU Law post-Brexit

"
She is outstanding in her diligence and approach. She is accessible, approachable and provides high-quality, client-focused, practical advice."

Chambers and Partners

Chambers Top Ranked UK Bar 2024 Uk leading juniors 2024 The Planning Law Survey 2024

Qualifications and achievements

Qualifications

Legal Qualifications

  • Common Professional Examination (Diploma in Law) 2004 (Distinction)
  • Bar Vocational Course (2005) (Outstanding)

Select Academic Qualifications and Awards

  • Balliol College, Oxford (History BA 2000 (First Class) (Scholar)
  • Oxford University Gibbs Reading Prize (placed second in year in final examinations)
  • Kennedy School of Government, Harvard. Kennedy Scholar. Graduate level Fellowship. (2002)
  • MProf in Leadership for Sustainable Development (2001)
  • Diploma in Women’s Right Law (2007) LSE.

Sasha was the Judicial Assistant to the Law Lords in 2007.

Scholarships

  • European Environmental Agency scholarship - 2007
  • Lord Mansfield - 2005, Lincoln’s Inn 
  • Lord Bowden - 2004, Lincoln’s Inn.

Memberships

Sasha is appointed to the 'Attorney General's A Panel of Junior Counsel' and the 'Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel Counsel'.

  • Environmental Law Foundation
  • Planning and Environmental Bar Association
  • United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (formerly a Director and Council Member)
  • Administrative Law Bar Association
  • Human Rights Lawyers Association
  • Justice.

Legal Appointments

  • Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel Counsel
  • Implementation Committee, “Entry to the Bar”, Bar Council. Member (2008 – 2011)
  • Judicial Assistant to the Law Lords (2007). Sasha was a Judicial Assistant to Baroness Hale of Richmond and Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury
  • Pegasus Scholarship , Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia (2010)

Interests

  • Sasha has a deep interest in education and women’s rights. Sasha currently support female refugees from Afghanistan and recently hosted Ukrainian refugees.  Sasha has supported “Inspiring the Future” inspiring girls to further education since 2016 and founded a small NGO funding education in Ghana (active 2002-2011). Her interest stemmed from teaching in Tanzania (1997). Sasha also sat on Lord Neuberger’s “Entry to the Bar” Committee and its Executive Committee (2007).
  • Sasha has a long interest in coherent development of environmental law. She regularly provides pro-bono environmental law advice; previously Trustee and Company Director United Kingdom Environmental Law Foundation (UKELA); held Pegasus scholarship to the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia; worked at environmental legal advice-line co-ordinated by the Friends of the Earth Rights & Justice Centre, co-founded an Environmental Centre in Chambers; initiated a mini-pupillage specialising in environmental law in Landmark.
  • Outdoor swimming, Reading.

Recommendations

Practice Managers

Contact our friendly and helpful Practice Managers for more information about our barristers and services or to make an enquiry.

Michael Gooch new

Michael Gooch

Senior Practice Manager

020 7421 1305

Jonathan Barley new

Jonathan Barley

Practice Manager

020 7421 2480

Noel Pudney new

Noel Pudney

Assistant Practice Manager

020 7421 1398

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