Lydd is an odd place. I remember going there 2-3 yrs ago and they were saying it would close for 2-3 months in the following December because some cheap airline would use it as a base, and use coaches to ferry passengers to/from Gatwick, and it was going to be rebuilt, ILS put in, etc. Nothing has happened though, possibly because the place is so hard to get to by land.
I gather they used to have an ILS until fairly recently and then sold it. That's a shame because the absence of terrain would make it an ideal south east coast bad weather diversion; now one has Southampton / Bournemouth only.
Re the fuel drawback, it is difficult to make it completely fair. Certainly, the last overseas-flight pilot pocketing the whole drawback is great for him (the drawback can pay for the whole flight!) at the expense of subsequent flights.