so that the airport owners can line their pockets
I really don't think the owners of LCY can be considered to be lining their pockets.
For certainly the first 10 years it was money out of the door every year.
Now things have picked up, but only really in the morning and evening peaks. Look in at 11 am and there is hardly anyone in the terminal, and the few aircraft on the ramp have minimal loads.
Yes it's all a rush weekday mornings and evenings, and more operators might wish to come in, but only at this time. Saturdays are sad in the morning, then it is closed for 24 hours. The only scope for ramp expansion is to the east of the terminal building. This will involve filling in the end of the KGV dock, an engineering solution which I can assure you (because I do them) does not come cheap. And this is for a gate which will only be required 10 times a week.