Seems fair enough to me.
I think the main problem is due to the position not being filled with a bum on the seat as a sector in its own right. The airspace is lumped onto another sectors airspace. This controller has no capacity to deal with the VFR TONC.
So the traffic has to be barred from using empty air.
If there was a bum on seat there wouldn't be a problem with this traffic using the airspace.
Does the controlling authority of a piece of air have the right to close it so that they save costs?
And it not unusual with issues like this to get different views from the managers and then in the pub to find out the real reason for the issue over a pint.
And I am not saying this is the case in this airspace.
"Never going to happen mate, that will completely screw with the weekend late starts and early goes and also the holiday roster"
"eh explain I thought you have a moving cycle with a full watch"
"we do but on the weekend we take it in turns to come in at the start of shift and the others come in time to take over. So not filling that position means another person gets an extra 2 hours in bed and another one gets to bugger off early as well"
"And we double up on holiday over the weekend as well so people can leave Friday and then start work again on Monday so there will be two off at the same time. Instead of the normal only one during the week"
"I thought you had to maximise access to controlled airspace"
"
that, why should 2-3 puddle jumpers screw with 30 ATCO's quality of life just because they want to go flying on a Sunday morning. Its not as if they pay anything for the service. And over 50% of the time nobody wants to fly anyway because the wx is pants so everyone would be sitting bored anyway"
Now I actually sympathise with that point of view there is nothing worse than sitting around in an airport with bugger all to do. But I also see the problem with closing controlled airspace for the same reason.