LTNman....To answer all your questions: Location, Location, Location!
Quite right, boeing_eng. In fact, that's the main problem with a lot of airports in the UK. Wartime RAF bases, from which a lot of present day airports developed, were often placed in out-of-the-way places on purpose. What we need today are airports that are multi-modal transport hubs. My solution would be to build new airports on top of railway stations in city centres.
Despite its location, I was pleased to see on my last visit to Stansted that the network of local bus and medium-distance coach services had expanded and looked surprisingly comprehensive. Even so, I still needed a lift to get to the part of Hertfordshire to which I was travelling.