A Freedom of Information request reveals that Reading Borough Council may be considering outsourcing the whole of the transport department to Peter Brett Associates. During the six years that PBA were involved in major projects like Green Park, the £1m Rose Kiln Lane traffic junction, Reading 2020, Market Place regeneration and the One Way IDR proposal, Reading Borough Council paid them a measly total of £9,911.

Lead Councillor for Transport, Tom Crisp told us: "What fantastic value for council tax payers. Less than ten grand to screw up Reading over six years, when our own transport department have been given a multi-million pound budget to achieve the same thing, there's no competition. Beats any 'best value' analysis our transport department can come up with. Either that or that figure is a complete and total lie. Anyone know of a design and communications agency we could get to print our recycling leaflets for a tenner?"