Chuffer talks quite a lot of sense, though not perhaps with the right target in mind.
I learnt to fly at Shoreham in the 70's and it had full ATC then. Fact is nowadays that full ATC is a luxury that few of us bimblers need or are willing to pay for. Many licensed fields with ab-initio training work very well with less than full ATC (AFISO or A/G).
There is of course a certain frisson some pilots get from pretending to be a "proper" pilot, landing at airfields with full ATC and other facilities like lighting, navaids and arrival/departure boards whether or not they actually need them. Unfortunately they all end up being paid for from somewhere.
[irony]It goes without saying that Shoreham under the long standing reign of the present Manager was a hugely profitable jewel in the crown of Brighton & Hove Council. One wonders why Erinaceous feel the need to install parking ticket machines after acquiring such a goldmine.[/irony]
I don't think it's at all fair to lay the blame for Empire Building at the door of the ATCO's.