Definately not the first time that airports have charged fees direct to the public in the UK.
I well remember - I have a thick skin, so must have the memory of an elephant!! - that Manchester use to charge a fee of 7/6 in old money back in the late '60s. You either paid at the airline's ticket office, or could pre-pay by having a voucher put on your travel document when you purchased your ticket.
Perhaps somebody would convert that into modern day values (7/6 was the equivalent of 35.5p in decimal currency - allowing for inflation how many pounds would that have been now?
Scottie Dog - with more grey hair then he wishes to think about