instead of just designating a place "security controlled" for no good reason, councils and airport owners might have to do some sort of cost vs benefit analysis of designating themselves as such.
Councils and Airport owners don't decide if their airport is "security controlled". That is foisted upon them by the regulator based on criteria they have no input or control over, and they are left to implement the requirements that thus ensue. They too are dealing with a bureaucracy who answers to no one.
Unfortunately, the worst atrocities have so far been committed by people (pilots or passengers) sitting in the front two seats. People with any sort of access (or means to enable access) to those seats will always be suspect.