Car Park Barriers & Bollards in Essex
Automatic rising arm barriers and bollards for car parks, private roads, business parks, clubs and blocks of flats across Essex, Thurrock and East London, installed and maintained by a family-run team.
Control who parks on your site
A rising arm barrier is often the simplest way to stop unauthorised parking. It is quicker than a gate, takes up less space, and can be opened by fob, keypad, intercom, ANPR camera or a phone app.
We install barriers for business car parks, private roads, members' clubs and residential blocks. At one members' club in Havering we fitted a Roger Technology barrier with radar vehicle detection and phone-app entry, so members no longer need fobs.
Every barrier has safety devices, such as photocells, loops or radar, so the arm does not come down on a vehicle or person.
Book a free site survey
How barriers are opened
We match the entry method to who uses the site.
Fobs, cards and keypads
Simple, low-cost entry for staff and residents, managed from an access control system so lost fobs can be removed.
ANPR cameras
Number plate recognition opens the barrier for registered vehicles, with no fobs to hand out or lose.
Phone app and intercom
Visitors can call through an intercom (see access control and intercoms), and users can open the barrier from an app.
Vehicle detection
Induction loops or radar detect vehicles so the barrier closes behind each car and stays up while one is underneath.
Automatic and fixed bollards
Where a barrier is not enough, or where a road needs to stay clear for pedestrians, automatic rising bollards can be lowered for permitted vehicles. Fixed and removable bollards protect shop fronts, buildings and walkways.
Bollards need careful groundworks, with drainage and ducting for automatic types. We survey the ground and services first, and our own team handles the groundworks.
For full perimeter security, barriers often sit alongside automated gates and CCTV installation.
How does ANPR open a car park barrier?
An ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) camera reads each vehicle’s number plate as it approaches and checks it against a list of permitted vehicles. If the plate is on the list, the barrier opens. If it is not, the driver uses the intercom, a fob or the keypad instead. Loops or radar still detect the vehicle, so the arm stays up while it is underneath and closes behind it.
ANPR works best where the same vehicles come and go every day: staff car parks, private roads and residential blocks, where nobody wants to hand out or chase fobs. We also fit ANPR on gates; one recent driveway in Stanford-le-Hope has automated gates with intercom access and ANPR detection.
Managing several sites? See managing agents, blocks and HMOs.
Book a free site survey
What signs and data rules apply to ANPR?
Number plates are personal data, so UK data protection law applies to ANPR. The ICO’s guidance on ANPR says to carry out a data protection impact assessment before you install it, put up clear and prominent signs saying ANPR is in use and who to contact, keep the number of cameras to what you need, and keep plate data only as long as necessary.
We position the cameras and signs and set up the permitted list and retention period on the system. As the site operator, you decide how the data is used and who can see it. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Keeping the permitted list up to date matters too: remove vehicles when staff or residents leave, just as you would remove a fob.
What does a barrier service visit include?
Barriers get heavy use, and arms get hit. A service visit checks everything that keeps the barrier safe and opening for the right vehicles. We service Roger Technology and FAAC barriers, and repair BFT and other brands, including barriers fitted by other installers, across Essex, Thurrock and East London.
Arm, motor and control board
We check the arm and its mounting, the motor and the control board, and replace damaged arms.
Loops, radar and photocells
We test vehicle detection, so the arm stays up while a vehicle is underneath and closes behind it.
ANPR cameras and readers
We clean camera lenses, check the camera’s view of approaching plates and test fob readers and intercoms.
Findings explained first
Small adjustments are usually made on the day. Where a part needs replacing, we explain the options and quote before doing anything.
Busy barriers are usually serviced every three or six months, depending on use. A barrier can share a servicing plan with the gates on the same site: see gate servicing.
Barrier and bollard questions
Common questions about car park barriers and bollards.
A motor raises and lowers the arm when it gets a signal from a fob reader, keypad, intercom, ANPR camera or app. Loops, photocells or radar detect vehicles so the arm stays up while a car is underneath.
It depends on the barrier, the arm length, how it is opened and the groundworks. We give a written quote after a free site survey.
Yes. ANPR cameras can recognise registered number plates and open the barrier, so staff or residents do not need fobs.
Yes. We repair and service barriers from Roger Technology, FAAC, BFT and other brands, including replacing damaged arms.
Barriers suit most car parks and private roads. Automatic bollards suit sites that need a stronger physical stop or a clear pedestrian area. We advise on the survey.
Yes. The ICO’s guidance says to put up clear and prominent signs saying ANPR is in use and who to contact, and to carry out a data protection impact assessment before you install it.
It depends on how busy it is. Busy barriers are usually serviced every three or six months, and quieter sites less often. We recommend an interval after the survey.
Back to access control. See also access control in Essex, and gate and barrier servicing. For blocks and managed sites, see managing agents and HMOs.
Need a barrier on your car park?
Book a free site survey anywhere in Essex, Thurrock or East London.