Originally Posted by
Mooncrest 
Given that Southend is regarded as a London airport nowadays, what are the chances of its Approach/Radar function being ensnared by Swanwick ?
Originally Posted by chevvron
Nil unless NATS gets the contract to become ANSP at Southend.
Even then it's unlikely because:
NATS would have to pay the Southend controllers for a house move.
NATS would have to pay the Southend controllers who move the same salary band as other Swanwick controllers.(The highest NATS salary band)
Those Southend controllers who move to Swanwick would be required to cross train on at least one other sector there (eg Essex Radar) in order to provide flexible manning.
Those Southend controllers who stay at Southend would 'lose' their approach radar C of C and be unable to provide combined TWR/APS during 'quiet' periods if it was approved by SRG.
The only plus is that NATS could operate the Southend Airport contract using controllers who only hold ADV/ADI ratings as at Luton, Stansted and City.(and pay them the lowest salary band)
A slightly more realistic answer might consider that all civil ATC in the UK is provided by (to one extent or another) private companies. Each company will have its business objectives and will, all things being equal, seek to achieve those objectives. Amongst those objectives there will be some related to finance and others to market profile. To take the example of Southend, it is possible to imagine that NATS could provide approach services at a lower cost than the operators of the airport are able (economies of scale and the like playing a part). Of course if such a situation were to be investigated, set against a reduced cost the airport operator would consider many things including whether it loses anything of substance - including reputation - by giving up its ability to operate approach services independently and whether NATS could meet its service level requirements. Assuming minimum service levels could be assured, any such non-monetary losses would be weighed up against the cost savings and the business objectives. The same sort of debates would be had by NATS in order to evaluate whether it would be interested in seeking to provide those services to Southend.
Issues such as staff redeployment are secondary and would not necessarily require a single organisation to operate all facilities involved although, admittedly, it is likely to make things easier and to offer additional tangible benefits.
There is a final, complicating factor which could come into play where the UK, as a State, determines that combining service provision in the way you suggest might better enable limited airspace resources to be used. The CAA has the power to 'direct' changes to be made to the way that services are provided. Whilst these powers are rarely used and are traditionally focused on ensuring safety of aircraft operations, performance obligations and targets might equally be drivers for use of these powers. Of course, the performance scheme is a European Commission initiative and may not be of concern either to the UK or Southend from 30th March.