As well as providing a clear basis for going forwards, and showing rigour to potential funders, a regeneration strategy document containing objectives, outcomes and emerging projects goes hand-in-hand with master planning that maps proposals on the ground and forms the basis for more technical discussions about development. Towns may appoint a local regeneration consultancy to help them with earlier phases of a regeneration programme, but master planning requires particular technical expertise that comes at a price. 

Costing a master planning exercise depends on a number of things:

• Scope – what is the split between a high-level approach (transportation, land use issues) and a more detailed level (looking at specific areas for change such as development sites and public space)
• Delivery strategy – whether in addition to a strategic overview (aspirational maps that illustrate the vision/ambition) there is a more detailed report on technical issues such as traffic, flooding and ground conditions, as well as the practicalities of how the delivery will be taken forward
• Planning status – whether the finished document will be part of a Local Plan, Neighbourhood Development Plan, or planning guidance