Atkins is in talks with 鈥渟everal hundred鈥� staff over redundancies as consultants adjust to a tightening of public sector spending.

Gleeds is also considering redundancies as it deals with the fallout from the cancellation of the 拢55bn 好色先生TV Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

An insider at Atkins said that 鈥渟everal hundred have been spoken to about cuts鈥� in the firm鈥檚 highways and transport division.

The firm announced last week that it was shedding staff in response to anticipated cuts in the roads budget.

A statement said: 鈥淲e are in discussion with colleagues in our highways and transportation business following anticipated public sector spending cuts on transportation projects.鈥�

Richard Steer, the senior partner in Gleeds, said the cancellation of BSF had forced the company to 鈥渞eview resource allocation鈥�.

鈥淭he prospects for next year are fairly bleak and I would have thought there will be more across the industry.鈥�

WSP has already said up to 50 staff could go in its roads business, while Mouchel said it would reveal the extent of previously announced redundancies 鈥渋n a couple of months鈥�.