Completely agree. It is outrageous. I am researching a topic at the moment and expected to pay £20 for the privilege of viewing a paper (with work funded as you say, by the taxpayer) published in 1960.

As to the project, the cost (open to correction by all means) was 1.4 billion. Downvote if you like; evidently this is my big mistake for not understanding that facts are apparently unwelcome hereabouts. If people assume that by mentioning this sum I am necessarily disapproving of the project then they are simply wrong and indeed had not one iota of evidence to suppose that. Now I know better - 'I must not mention the cost in case something thinks I am moaning about it'.