BB,
Quite right PhilD. Phoenix, Sky Harbor has a VFR route straight through the overhead and is at least twice as busy as sleepy little Gatwick.
I suppose our regulators must have a different view on what may or may not be acceptable.
Whatever, I suppose if it's done in the USA it must be the best way and we're daft not to slavishly follow the same procedures they do. But then to date, to the best of my knowledge, we've not suffered the pain of a mid-air between a light single and an airliner whilst both were operating inside controlled airspace in the vicinity of an airfield.
WF.