Membership and Code of Conduct

Gatwick terminal check-in area 1958Membership and presence at meetings

The members of the committee are drawn from three broad groups:

  • Users: travel and tourism industry, aviation industry including airlines, passengers
  • Local authorities: all those whose boundary abuts Gatwick Airport or the M23 spur road
  • Local interest groups: groups representing local people affected by the airport’s operations including environmental and noise groups, business and economic groups and employees

All member organisations commit to providing the most senior person available with the required knowledge to represent them at GATCOM.

All members commit to working on GATCOM business between meetings and giving timely responses to requests for comments and feedback between committee meetings.

GATCOM Membership

Dr John Godfrey DL

Chairman

Dr John Godfrey DL

Dr John Godfrey DL is the independent chair of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee. He is a former Chief Executive of the Sussex Police Authority and spent 40 years in local government, mainly in Sussex, before retiring in 2010. A Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex, Dr Godfrey is a Vice-President of the Sussex Association of Local Councils and a Freeman of Chichester Harbour.

Heavily involved in many national and local voluntary activities, Dr Godfrey is a Trustee of the Hanover Band Foundation and a former Trustee of the South Downs Society. He also chairs the Sussex Heritage Trust, a charity established in 1977 to preserve, improve and encourage the appreciation of the architectural and natural landscape of Sussex, is Co-Chair of the Arun Valley Vision Group, which is working with the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to develop a vision for the future management of the lower tidal River Arun and is vice-chairman of the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, recent recipient of a £4 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant to significantly enhance the experience of visitors to the museum.

At the request of West Sussex County Council, he has chaired a number of public meetings on controversial issues in the county, including fracking at Balcombe and schools reorganisation in the Storrington area.

Dr Godfrey loves the countryside, landscapes and history of Sussex and writes and lectures on these topics. He founded the annual South Downs Way Walk in 1980, which is still going strong, and is now one of the team of voluntary leaders. He wrote ‘The New Shell Guide to Sussex’ and ‘Guide to the South Downs Way’ and is currently writing on aspects of the impact of the First World War on the county of Sussex.

After 11 years as chairman, Dr Godfrey has decided to retire from the Committee but will continue in post until the end of 2018.  Following an open recruitment campaign involving members of the Committee, Tom Crowley, former Chief Executive of Horsham District Council, has been appointed as the new Chair of GATCOM to succeed Dr Godfrey.  Mr Crowley will take up his new role in January 2019 for a minimum period of four years, but will be working closely with Dr Godfrey over the coming months as Chair Designate – click here to see press release.

 Committee Members
East Sussex County Council

Mr Rupert Simmons

(Mr Nick Bennett – substitute)
Surrey County Council

Mr Graham Knight

(Mrs Helyn Clack – substitute)
West Sussex County Council

Mr Roger Elkins

(Mrs Janet Duncton – substitute)
Kent County Council

Mr Michael Payne

(Mr Matthew Balfour – substitute)
Crawley Borough Council

Mr Geraint Thomas

(Mrs Brenda Smith – substitute)
Tandridge District Council

Mr Ken Harwood

(Mrs Leslie Steeds – substitute)
Horsham District Council

Mrs Liz Kitchen

(Mr Adrian Lee – substitute)
Mid Sussex District Council

Mr Christopher Hersey

(Mr Jim Knight – substitute)
Mole Valley District Council

Mr Charles Yarwood (Vice-Chairman of GATCOM)

(Mrs Vivienne Michael – substitute)
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Mr Alex Horwood

(Mr Richard Biggs – substitute)
 Rusper Parish Council

Mr David Lawton

(Mr Alan Sheridan – substitute)
Horley Town Council

Mr Mike George

(Mrs Fiona Stimpson – substitute)
Burstow Parish Council

Mr R Alan Jones

(Mr Phil Hamlet – substitute)
Charlwood Parish Council

Mrs Carolyn Evans

(Mr Nick Hague – substitute)
Gatwick Airline Operators Committee

Mr Douglas Moule

(Mr Jamie Hobbs – substitute)
South London Business

TBA

(TBA – substitute)
ABTA

Mrs Angie Hills

(Mr Luke Petherbridge – substitute)
Gatwick Diamond Business

Mr Jeff Alexander

(Mr Brett North – substitute)
Airlines UK

Mr Philip Allport

(Mr Alun Adler – substitute)
Environmental and Amenity Groups

Mr Peter Barclay

(Mrs Sally Pavey – substitute)
Which?

Mr Chris Larkman

(Mr Bill Taylor – substitute)
Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE)

TBA
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry

TBA

(Mr Sean McKee – substitute)
Passenger Representative

Mr Peter Hall

(Mrs Samantha Williams – substitute)
Tourism South-East

Mr Nigel Smith

(TBA – substitute)
Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership

Mr John Peel

(Mr Martin Heffer – substitute)
Trades Union Congress Southern and Eastern Regional Council

Mr Jamie Major

(Ms Claire Simpson – substitute)

Advisers to the Committee

Honorary Secretary

Mr Tony Kershaw
Honorary Deputy Secretary

Mr Barry Smith
Assistant Secretary

Mrs Paula Street
Technical Adviser

Mr Brian Cox

Also Present at GATCOM Meetings

Department for Transport

Mr Tim May

Gatwick Airport Limited

Chief Executive Officer

Mr Stewart Wingate
Head Airspace Strategy and Engagement

Andy Sinclair
Director of Corporate Affairs, Planning & Sustainability

Mr Tim Norwood

 

 

NATS

Community Relations Manager

Mr Robin Clarke

Gatwick Air Traffic Control

General Manager, ANS

Mr Markus Biedermann

South Terminal upper forecourt

GATCOM Steering Group Membership

Chairman

Dr John Godfrey DL
Environmental and Amenities Groups

Mr Peter Barclay
Crawley Borough Council

Mr Geraint Thomas
Passenger Representative

Mr Peter Hall
Horsham District Council

Mrs Liz Kitchen
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Mr Alex Horwood
Airlines UK

Mr Phillip Allport
Mole Valley District Council – Vice Chairman

Mr Charles Yarwood
West Sussex County Council

Mr Roger Elkins
Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE)

TBA
Surrey County Council

Mr Graham Knight
Gatwick Diamond Business

Mr Jeff Alexander

British Airways airplane

Passenger Advisory Group

GATCOM Members appointed annually:

Chairman

Dr John Godfrey DL
Gatwick AOC

Mr Douglas Moule
Mole Valley District Council

Mr Charles Yarwood
ABTA

Ms Angie Hills
Which?

Mr Chris Larkman

Gatwick Airport Limited appoints independent passenger representatives following advertisement and interview:

Mr Paul Audu Mrs Ann Bates
Mrs Claire Booth Mrs Fiona Bowers
Mr Clive Brooks Mr Nick Brooks
Ms Sabrina D’Anjou Mrs Wendy Dudley
Mr Peter Hall Mrs Fenella Hunter
Ms Sheila Plant Mr Mark Reddick
Mrs Claire Vickers
Mr Tony Wheeler Mrs Samantha Williams

World's largest bag drop

Gatwick Airport Limited’s Noise and Track Monitoring Advisory Group (NATMAG)

GATCOM also appoints seven representatives to serve on Gatwick Airport Limited’s Noise and Track Monitoring Advisory Group (NATMAG).

The following members are appointed for a term of two years:

  • Mr Matthew Balfour (Kent County Council)
  • Mr Peter Barclay (Environment and Amenities Groups)
  • Mr Mike George (Horley Town Council)
  • Mr Ken Harwood (Tandridge District Council)
  • Mr Alan Jones (Burstow Parish Council)
  • Mrs Liz Kitchen (Horsham District Council)
  • Mr Charles Yarwood (Mole Valley District Council)

Airplane in flight

Member Code of Conduct

GATCOM has adopted the Code of Conduct set out in the Department for Transport’s Guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees:

Respect:

Committee members should treat each other with respect and courtesy at all times.

Commitment:

Committee members should dedicate sufficient time to prepare for and attend meetings, including seeking advice and views from others in their organisation where appropriate.

Conflicts of Interest:

Members should identify and declare any conflicts of interest (actual, potential or perceived), particularly where members do not represent an organisation.

Participation:

Members should participate fully in meetings. They should listen to what others have to say and keep an open mind while contributing constructively to discussions. Actions assigned to members should be fulfilled in a timely manner and progress reported back at the next meeting.

Openness and Accountability:

Members should be open and accountable to each other and the organisations and communities they represent about their work on the committee.

Confidentiality:

Members should respect the status of any confidential issues they discuss.
Gatwick architecture