I agree rather strange. It seems that in the UK nobody is willing to take responsability for allowing flights. If the airspace is not openned soon they will start looking like clowns.
In most cases the most simplistic approach is the best one, but NATS(goverment,...) are just trying to stay legal. Common sense must prevail. Who cares about long term damage to engines now, if we don't start flying soon there will not be airlines. Let's save the industry and then worry about long term implications.
The response from the UK is arriving late, far too late...