I'm not fammiliar with the UK system, so I'm speaking in US terms here.
The government gives you a tax advantaged account specifically to encourage saving for retirement. It sounds like you want to use that money to do something else, and are complaining that you need to loose your tax advantage to do so.
The tax advantage is for investing for retirement. I think there are good gains to be made in certain things (such as coops) but regulations forbid me from investing in them, while the tax system incentivises me to put as as much money as possible away in tax friendly wrappers, which stifles my ability to invest.
The government gives you a tax advantaged account specifically to encourage saving for retirement. It sounds like you want to use that money to do something else, and are complaining that you need to loose your tax advantage to do so.