Planning
NOMINATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND NOTABLE MATTERS:
- Winner of the Planning and land Use Silk of the Year 2024, awarded by Legal 500.
- Nominated for Planning Silk of the Year by Legal 500 in 2020.
- Identified as one of the top Planning Silks practicing in England and Wales in the Legal 500, Chambers and Partners and Planning Magazine, where he was ranked third in the country in the latest Planning Law Survey
- He has been described as a “Excellent in every way – expertise, experience, advocacy and diligence” and “Sasha is without parallel the best planning [K]C to work with” [Legal 500 2022] and “Sasha is absolutely the best, he is a pleasure to work with and always makes everyone at ease, even junior members of the client team” [Legal 500 2023]
- And “a true legend of the Planning Bar” and who “is the best silk I know for cross-examining” [Chambers and Partners Guide to the Bar 2022]
- As a Junior he was stated to be “the leading Planning junior in the UK” by Legal 500 in 2003 and identified as the number one
Planning Junior in the UK by Planning Magazine for 8 consecutive years from 1996-2004.
- Hosted the RTPI National Annual Planning Awards of Excellence – 2021 and 2022.
- Has won 38 of his last 41 planning appeals and High Court cases. [As at 1/10/2023]
- Previously Head of the Planning Group at Landmark Chambers [2020-2023]
- Founder member of and Panelist for “Have we got planning news for you” which has produced over 80 episodes and been watched by over 100,000 since March 2020.
- Author of “Planning Appeals” – Central Law Publishing 1997.
- Took 4 years away from work to be the primary parent for his three children [2003-2007].
PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS:
In the past 8 years since 2015 Sasha has:
- Been instructed by 8 of the top 10 planning solicitor firms.
- Been instructed by 9 of the top 10 UK housebuilders.
- Been instructed by 8 of the top 10 UK retailers.
NOTABLE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PAST 5 YEARS:
- Won permission for 200 houses in Chichester in August 2023.
- Won permission for 150 units in Waverley in May 2023.
- Won permission at appeal for 215 units in Swindon in December 2022.
- Promoted 1000 units in London Borough of Barnet in March 2023 at Call in Inquiry.
- Won permission for 500 houses in the Green Belt in Little Chalfont in March 2023.
- Won planning permission at appeal for 1400 homes in Bury St Edmonds in 2022.
- Won planning permission for 150 houses in Tenterden in April 2022.
- Won 11 appeals for Churchill Homes in 2021-23.
- Won permission in St Helens for 1 million square feet of B8 in Green Belt in October 2021.
- Won permission in Bath for major mixed-use development of 400 units in 2021/22.
- Instructed to represent Tower Hamlets Council on the highest profile case of 2020/1 involving Westferry Printworks and the Secretary of State accepting “Apparent Bias”.
- Appeared as advocate in over 100 public inquiries under the Planning Acts.
- Successfully defended grant of permission for the largest permission in Southwark.
- Did the first housing planning appeal in 2020 to deal with the effect of Covid 19.
- Successfully promoted Newcastle and Gateshead Core Strategy involving 40,000 homes.
- Promoted over 75 Housing Appeal Schemes ranging in size from 50 to 5000 units.
- Been instructed by the Government through the Homes and Communities Agency in England and the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.
- Advised on 5 major settlements and garden villages all in excess of 5000 units.
- Been instructed by the leading members of the Land Promoters Development Forum.
- Appeared for LPA in a major inquiry [Sunderland] for an EFW proposal February 2020.
- Won Permission for a major redevelopment in the LLDC in November 2019.
- Won the Inspectors recommendation to refuse the Westferry Printworks proposals for a major redevelopment scheme of 1500 homes in January 2020.
- Won planning permission for the largest town centre redevelopment in 2019 in the UK.
- Advised a major London Authority [2019/2020] on the biggest scheme in their history.
PREVIOUS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Promoting the major expansion of Liverpool Airport in 1995 with Lionel Read KC.
- Appearing in the 12 party Peterborough Retail inquiry in 1996 led by Stephen Morgan.
- Advising Tesco Stores from 1997-2015 on over 200 retail schemes.
- Supporting at appeal the expansion of Brent Cross in 1999.
- Winning permission at call in inquiry for the new Newcastle Falcons Stadium in 2002.
- Winning permission for 450-unit housing on most investigated site in UK - 2008.
- Winning permission at appeal for new Tesco led by Russell Harris KC in Wiltshire in 2009.
- Winning in the Supreme Court with Neil Cameron Q.C. in Morge v HCC in 2010.
- Winning planning permission for 500 student units at appeal for UCL in 2010.
- Appearing for the North Yorkshire County Council in a gas-processing factory in 2011.
- Protecting the planning permission for stadium for FC United in the High Court in 2012.
- Protecting the planning permission for the redevelopment of Old Trafford Cricket Ground in the Court of Appeal in 2013 led by Christopher Katkowski KC.
- Winning permission on appeal for 1000 houses in North Tyneside for Persimmon and the Duke of Northumberland in 2013 and 2014.
- Promoted 6 development plans [1996-2019].
PERSONAL:
- Current Non-Executive Director of the Professional Cricketers Association [2020-].
- Current Non-Executive Director of Kent County Cricket Club [2023-]
- Previously Director of Middlesex County Cricket Club [2019-2022]
- Run 4 marathons
[London (2016, 2019, 2021), NYC (2017),] and 15 half marathons.
- Cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in August 2020 raising £17,000 for the Samaritans.
- Cycling from Dover to Durness in August 2023 across 14 days and 1500 kilometers.
- Playing member of Aston Rowant Cricket Club 4th XI. [2011-Present]
- Member of: MCC, Middlesex CCC, Kent CCC, Warwickshire CCC, Surrey CCC, Western Province CC, Primrose Hill CC, Huntercombe GC, RAC, Alnmouth GC and Turnberry GC.
- Chair of the Home Counties Premier Cricket League [2022-]
- Season Tickets -Rangers FC, Arsenal FC, Murrayfield, Twickenham, Lords, Edgbaston, Oval.
- Read Law at Trinity College Cambridge [Vice-President of the CU Law Society [1988-1989].
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.
Energy
Specialisms
Commercial/Retail
Compulsory Purchase and Compensation
Development Consent Orders
Development Contracts and Overage
Development Contribution: Section 106 and CIL
Development Plans and other planning policy
Energy
Environment
Green Belt
Heritage
Highways, Footpaths and Rights of Way
Infrastructure
Marine Planning and Harbour Orders
Minerals and Waste
Neighbourhood Planning
Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings
Planning Crime
Planning Enforcement and Injunctions
Planning Judicial and Statutory Reviews
Residential
Transport Orders and Parliamentary Bills
