What is wrong with min clean. If it were gusty, just add 5 kts for cash.
30 track miles with one stage of flaps isn't going to burn too much anyway - maybe 1 kg per min extra to base leg (5-7 kgs).
They do a good job of not holding us. What might help is being given a time to be at BPK or LAM by. We could then plan ourselves , but then most would get it wrong and then its back to vectors. It is more the distance to the aircraft infront though.
Don't forget the departures from LCY have to be sequenced too with back-tracks, thus the gaps needed.
Standard speeds stop you from going wide on the turn and shaking the hell out of the pax. Plenty of aircraft under you too to present an RA at anytime (slower = more time to react. Also you may catch up a slower aircraft on the same SID. Slow down cowboy - you may save 3 seconds if you are lucky and burn loads of fuel. I was under the impression you were trying to save fuel !!!
http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadba...2010-06-03.pdf
It's not all about you !!!!
(not at Thames by the way)