On most of the French campsites the extra is charged if people try and take the p**s. You are charged for the pitch and as long as it's either one family Ma, Pa and offspring, or 1 tent - to each there own ....... There is no additional charge. Suncanopies/gazebos are now almost a given. As for the UK I bet the same applies if the campsite is reasonable. I have come across sites which thought they could charge for everything eg. no awning or suncanopy and they wanted to charge for a pup tent (small), cheeky sites which charge for an awning/porch in the UK, I still find that damned greedy, we don't go there.
It's definately a horses for course thing. Back in my early camping days as a kid I would pack a 6" pile of Punch magazines to keep me amused (how that dates me). These would then be confiscated to level out the parent's camp beds.
Later I was a youth group ridge tent minimalist living out of a rucksack, then a minimalist backpacker.
Now I like the comforts of an airbed, fold up chairs and a wine box. Plus ca change.
But luckily there aren't any tent police to tell us what to do. But I would baulk at seeing someone unload a chest freezer!
Why anyone would want to freeze their chest is beyond me anyway.
Eric.
------------- A problem is just an answer with the wrong question.