The airport development fee of £3 only applies to departing passengers on schedules or IT services, it's charged by every airport in the UK but it's just that NWI, Liverpool and St Mawgan have had the balls to let folk know up front and not squirrel it away in the other charges.
In a word..............................b*ll*x
All airports, repeat all, collect money from fees and charges, from which they pay their costs leaving a profit. The accumulated profits, plus a lot of loan finance, pays for capital developments in the future.
Separating a small part of the total charge as a compulsory "levy", especially when combined with the threat "if you don't pay you'll go on a database and cannot use the airport again" is a dishonest trick, needed mostly because the airlines refused to pay an even higher passenger movement charge at those airports and pass it on to their customers.
The levy is illegal under various laws including the Civil Aviation Act and the Data Protection Act, and if used to evade VAT and Corporation tax on the income it generates, it would be illegal for that reason too.
The levy must be declared by airlines as a mandatory charge, which in fact it is, payable as a condition of taking their flights from Norwich. Understandably they are not doing that, having fought against it in the first place, but they should, and may be liable to refund the £3 if they don't.
Every passenger should;
a) Refuse to pay, and then refuse consent under the DPA to having his/her name listed on the Airport's database. Demand to see the record in writing, and demand confirmation of removal, which under the Act the Airport
must supply. The airport cannot then refuse use of the airport to that passenger, as doing so would be incontravertible evidence that the record is still there.
b) Report any threats to the CAA, and if that produces no action (likely, it's the CAA) escalate to the Dept of Transport and to Trading Standards in Norfolk.
c) If they do pay, demand to receive VAT receipts for the payment, showing the VAT collected and the company's VAT number. (Perhaps they do this anyway, but it's worth making sure).
d) If you are coerced into paying, seek a refund from the airline on the grounds that the payment was not included in the quoted price of the ticket, as the law requires.
e) If the DF shop staff claim that goods sold in the Departure lounge to domestic flight passengers are sold without VAT added, as they have been known to, ask the airport to advise whether they are really not collecting the VAT, or are making misrepresentions about what they sell and the price. Inform HMRC if the former, or a good lawyer if the latter!
Go fo it and good luck. These scams must be resisted.
PS The reason that only 200 have refused is that staff tell passengers that is is compulsory to pay if they wish to catch their flights, and that if they refuse and therefore miss their flights they will not be refunded the fares, holiday payments etc. That's what I was told before I paid; after I paid it changed to "if you had refused we would have blacklisted you, etc etc". Most people accept it as a necessary evil, which does not mean they do not think it's a rip-off.
Let me see; around £2m collected so far. That might be £272,700 or so to pay in VAT, plus interest and penalties. I do hope so, but perhaps it was paid.