Sven has a point about the PFI. Unlike the case with buying aircraft, getting a deal going with Travelodge could work as it's the sort of thing that PFI was designed for. The base sells the long stay car parks by the wire to Travelodge who promptly build a 600-1000 room hotel on the land, knowing that they can expect regular accommodation requests of XXX pax per night. Travelodge then charges the RAF at a rate lower than the public one on a per room per night basis. Under PFI terms, this income would have to be less than the cost of running the hotel and Travelodge would have to have another revenue stream - renting rooms at going rates to families coming to Brize to greet or wave off their loved ones and to the civilian charter crews. Hell, I'd even make my dragon-in-law stay there over Christmas rather than bunk the kids in together and let the old sow steal one of their rooms! With the distinct possibility of delays, the RAF would frequently want many more rooms than it originally based the sums on, much like the Defence College gets to run extra courses and hold extra Service events, and that would be part of the Travelodge third party revenue stream.
Then use the proceeds of the sale of the carparks and put it towards bulldozing Gateway and turning it in to a multi-story carpark!
