Maybe I've missed something among all the chatter, but as a very experienced Heathrow Radar Director can I say to our crew friends that we don't do tight spacing for fun - it's damnably hard work. Just about all the ATC procedures we follow are agree by, if not demanded by, the AIRLINES. 2.5nm spacing can get very fraught (I'll not say more on here because one doesn't know who might be reading) but we only do it because the airlines apparently want it. If we take life easy and the delays extend who starts whingeing? Not us - the AIRLINES. You pilot chappies who don't like the procedures ought to be gently wringing your Flight Managers by the throats, not complaining - however politely - on here. There ain't much us coalface workers can do about it; we've got our feet on terra firma.
Lastly, anyone who plans fuel believing that they can use 27L as an "alternate" when 27R is the landing runway *(and vv) is... how can I put this politely..... barking mad!! The departure runway is frequently not available for landing due to WIP (big crane in the undershoot for example) or maybe the ILS is on maintenance, etc, etc.
Anyone agree that the fun has gone out of this game??