Matt Hard is an Associate Director in WSP's Planning Consultancy team. He has more than 20 years experience in private practice, with considerable experience across multiple sectors including regeneration, urban extensions, green belt and grey belt matters, renewable energuy and data centres. 

Within his planning work, Matt has always seen the value of community engagement as a way of contributing to the planning and development process. Notable community engagement activities over the years include for Therme Manchester (a wellbeing resort in Trafford), for Homes England (including a 4,200 home urban extension in Cheshire), for large employment development in the Wigan Green Belt (now under construction) and what was at the time the largest solar farm in the UK (in the East Midlands).

He is currently involved in promoting AI Growth Zones and hyperscale data centres as well as smaller data centre developments.