Riverboat - I think you'll find that the "new system of controlling" has a lot to do with changes to the airspace and changes in the type of aircraft using that airspace which impacts on both commercial and GA traffic.
Twenty years ago all GA traffic into Jersey or overflying the zone into Dinard or other French airfields was routed via Cap de la Hague and Flamanville and given zone entry clearance from there while only Guernsey and Alderney traffic were given entry dct from 50N ORTAC way. Unfortunately since the introduction of the French restricted areas outside of the zone
all GA traffic is given entry clearance through 50N ORTAC. With all traffic routeing through the bottleneck between Alderney and 50N and only up to 3 thousand feet being available under R41 the options for separating traffic in Class A airspace are quite limited - hence an increased use of headings for GA traffic.
As far as commercial traffic goes, where as years ago the levels requested through ORTAC varied considerably now with faster, higher performance aircraft operating in and out of the islands the levels requested tend to be within a much smaller band. Combine that with an increase in traffic climbing out of Southampton through ORTAC and you have a much more complicated traffic situation through the same bottleneck as the GA traffic. Hence, again, more headings.
The other result of this situation means that much more co-ordination has to be effected with surrounding agencies which means that even if we don't sound that busy we may well be busy on the phone to other units and not, as one crew recently told me they thought, ordering pizza again!
Riverboat, if my memory serves me correctly I think that you have mentioned in the past that you find the service from Jersey more restrictive than it has been previously? I hope this goes some way to answering that question.
WW