Gatwick appoints new planning chief

Tim Norwood – the man who secured planning consent for Hinkley Point C, the UK’s first new nuclear power station for a generation – is to become Gatwick’s new Chief Planning Officer, the airport has revealed.  

Tim will join Gatwick’s Executive Management Board on Monday 27 February, and will lead a review of Gatwick’s Masterplan. He will also lead Gatwick’s response to the Government’s Draft National Policy Statement and the Aviation Strategy review.

Tim was previously Chief Planning Officer for EDF Energy, where he secured planning consent for Hinkley Point C, and more recently led a major consultation on another new nuclear power station – Sizewell C – in Suffolk.

Prior to EDF Energy, Tim spent more than 10 years at BAA, where he held several senior roles promoting airport expansion including as Planning Manager for Terminal 5, Head of Environmental Planning for the Stansted’s second runway project and Head of Planning for the expansion of Heathrow.

Tim succeeds Alastair McDermid, the director who led the airport’s second runway campaign.  Alastair will continue to work for Gatwick as an advisor, but will step down from his current role as Airports Commission Director in February this year.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive, Gatwick Airport, said: “I am delighted that Tim Norwood will be joining Gatwick’s executive team next month.  Tim will play a leading role realising Gatwick’s exciting future and his unparalleled experience and will help the airport to deliver its ambitious £1.2 billion investment programme going forward.

“I would also like to thank Alastair McDermid for his significant contribution to Gatwick over the past few years. He shaped and then drove forward Gatwick’s highly credible and deliverable case for a second runway.  His work helped change the profile of Gatwick’s ambition and I am delighted that he will continue as an advisor to the airport.”