Roffa
The good book also says:
3 Control of VFR Flights
3.1 Although in Class D, E, F and G airspace separation standards are not applied, ATC has a responsibility to prevent collisions between known flights and to maintain a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of traffic. This objective is met by passing sufficient traffic information and instructions to assist pilots to see and avoid each other.
I do not consider having an SOP departure altitude restriction to be passing sufficient traffic information. Fair enough for each departure to pass specific traffic info with the necesary instruction - again this allows the pilot to decide in conjunction with ATC.