I would like nothing more than the Regulator (CAA) to set the capacity limits for sectors and Airports.
Sadly they (CAA SRG) lack the expertise to do so. So who sets sector capacity then?
At LACC, NATS itself. This (aparently) is achieved through a working group that doesn't seem to have any operational ATCOs (or ATSAs) from the sectors concerned. It does contain members of the LAS groups concerned, but given their remoteness from reality, and in many cases unwillingness to say NO to sector capacity increases, one wonders at their effectiveness.
Question: Have sector capacities been increased without being "tested" properly? (I don't know, does CAA SRG?)
Heres a piece of info to help answer that question.
NATS bases it's own safety performance on "losses of separation". It does not count Overload reports (often stemming from sector capacity increases) as "safety related" if no loss of separation is involved.
Draw your own conclusions
rgds BEX