Tom has over 35 years experience in Town and Country Planning.  A Chartered Town Planner, he has worked in Irvine New Town, had 8 years experience as a local authority development planner in South Gloucestershire and Hull City Councils, and spent 17 years as a civil servant with The Scottish Executive (now The Scottish Government) where he led teams, managed research projects and formulated national planning policy and advice. This included policy on integrated planning and transport, flooding, open space and rural development.  Whilst at The Scottish Executive he also worked on urban regeneration initiatives and structure plan approvals.

Whilst on a secondment from The Scottish Executive, Tom spent a year in Brussels working for the European Commission as a national expert responsible for Community Initiatives and the programme to support sustainable development across the EU.

Tom left the Scottish Executive to become more involved in the implementation and delivery of projects.  He initially worked for a large private sector planning consultancy on regeneration schemes and renewable energy projects.  Whilst making the transition to a consultant Tom completed the national planning policy guidance on “Planning for Rural Development” (SPP15) for the Scottish Executive before setting up Hardie Planning Consultancy in January 2006.

Tom was also a part-time Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen for a period of 4.5 years.  He lectured and organised student assignments in Rural Planning and Development and in Spatial Planning and the Energy Sector and undertook research on Live Work and low carbon lifestyles.

Tom is a registered member of the Live Work Network and actively promotes a number of live work opportunities in rural areas, that enable people living in the Scottish countryside to enjoy the benefits of running a business and working from, or in close proximity to, their new energy efficient home, without having to commute to work.

For more details of the Live Work Network, see the link on Useful Links page.