Practitioner-led advisory at the intersection of place, policy and digital
Olive Branch Place is a specialist strategic advisory practice working at the intersection of planning, devolution, digital reform and place-based investment. We operate through an associate model — bringing together a curated network of senior practitioners to deliver exactly the right expertise for each client and challenge. Our work is grounded in real delivery experience, not just frameworks.
The practice is led by Paul Frainer, an accomplished executive leader and government advisor with over two decades of experience spanning private sector engineering and environmental management, local government, and strategic consultancy. Paul is widely recognised as a thought leader in place-based investment, spatial planning reform, devolution and the digital transformation of planning systems.
Paul's career has been built at the sharpest end of complex delivery — from directing major service transformation programmes worth up to £20m, to advising at C-suite level on how England's new devolution architecture should translate into fundable, investable growth plans. He combines deep technical expertise in spatial planning and economic development with a proven track record in programme leadership, organisational design and digital innovation.
A qualified strategic planner and economic development professional, Paul has worked across all tiers of local and central government — including with Proptech innovation funds and national digital planning programmes. He pioneered the application of digital, data and AI to planning systems from the mid-2010s, spanning geospatial data, large language models and the codification of planning policy for reduced administrative burden and improved growth modelling.
Today, Olive Branch Place works at the critical junction of England's devolution agenda — supporting Mayoral Strategic Authorities, combined authorities, local government and central government to develop Spatial Development Strategies, align Local Growth Plans with investable infrastructure pipelines, and build the institutional capacity to deliver on their statutory growth ambitions. Paul is a Senior Associate at Local Partnerships and a regular speaker at UKREIIF, Solace Summit and PAS Chief Planners Conference.
Core Expertise
"Without connective tissue between an SDS, Local Plans and Local Growth Plans, a pipeline is just a list. With it, it becomes an investment proposition."
— Paul Frainer, UKREIIF 2026
