Well, firstly there is no real mystery, but I guess this might be one of a number of airports.
In fact it is Shoreham.
The best procedural approach available is an NDB / DME.
The aircraft is home based so there is no issue with reneging on the landing fee, even if the approach ends in a missed. The charge for a procedural approach is the same as a regular landing.
Whipping Boy - that is what I thought, partly hence the question.
Now to be fair, I dont beleive for a moment ATC would refuse a non pre booked procedural approach in poor VMC and certainly not in IMC. However it is their interpretation that an approach in VMC even though you maybe operating IFR must by definition be a training flight and despite the ATIS announcing XXXX approach in fact it is really "XXXX possibly with an approach service or possibly just tower - have you pre-booked"
Flyin'Dutch' - OK point taken, it is their approach and their airport and they have to manage the traffic. However I was interested in peoples views on whether it makes sense to offer something for "sale" (which it seems to me you do by calling yourself XXXX approach) when you might not want to sell the goods on offer. Perhaps I am "hearing" too much in the term XXXX approach, albeit at times the airport becomes XXXX tower, when a second controller is not on duty for example, and we all then know an approach services is definitely not available.