Automate your entrance
Try the live ANPR simulator below — drive a plate up to the gate and watch the AI decide. Then configure your gate and add-ons and submit your build for a free quote.
Try it: drive a plate up
Type a number plate and run it against the allow-list, or tap a known plate. A match opens the gate; a mismatch turns the car away.
Allow-list (tap to test)
Not on the list? Try XX99 XXX to watch the car get turned away.
1 · Choose your gate or barrier
2 · Add smart features
How your gate works with cameras and alarm
Your automated entrance isn't a standalone product — it's part of the same Homeview and Ajax ecosystem as your AI cameras, intruder alarm and access control. That means the gate, the cameras and the alarm can talk to each other and you manage the lot from one app.
One app for gate and alarm
Open, close and check your gate from the same app that runs your AI cameras and Ajax intruder, fire, leak and panic devices. No separate fobs or systems to juggle from anywhere with signal.
ANPR opens for known plates
An ANPR camera reads number plates at the entrance, auto-opens for vehicles on your approved list and logs everyone else. Unknown plates can trigger an alert or a camera clip so you always know who arrived.
Camera-verified at the gate
Link the gate to the camera covering it so any open, tailgate or forced event triggers recording and a verified clip. You see who is at the entrance, not just that something moved.
Scenarios and 24/7 monitoring
Build scenarios that tie the gate to the wider system — close and arm at night, alert on tailgating, hold open for deliveries. With 24/7 ARC monitoring and dual-path signalling, alarms reach the response centre even if broadband drops.
What to consider for a safe, reliable entrance
A powered gate or barrier is a piece of machinery, so safety and reliability come first. These are the points that make the difference between an entrance that runs for years and one that causes problems — worth thinking through before the survey.
Force limits and a risk assessment
Powered gates must be set up so they stop or reverse safely if they meet a person or vehicle. A proper force-limit setup and risk assessment of crushing and shearing points is essential, not optional.
Safety photocells on every run
Photocells detect anything in the gate's path and stop it closing on a person, pet or car. Fit them at the right heights across the full travel so there are no gaps where a child could be missed.
Manual release for power cuts
Every automated gate needs a manual release so you can open it by hand in a power cut or fault. Make sure it's reachable from the side you'll be stuck on and that everyone knows how to use it.
Loop detector for free exit
An in-ground loop detector senses a vehicle and opens the gate automatically on the way out — no fob needed to leave. It also helps hold the gate open while a car is still passing through.
Intercom for visitors and deliveries
A video or GSM intercom lets visitors and couriers call you, and lets you see and release the gate from your phone wherever you are. Pick the type to suit whether you have cabling to the gate or rely on mobile signal.
Weatherproof and right-sized motor
Match the motor type and strength to the gate's weight, length and duty cycle, and specify outdoor-rated equipment for an exposed entrance. An undersized or unsealed motor is the most common cause of early failure.
Plan power and cable routes early
Powered gates, intercoms, ANPR and loops all need cabling and a mains supply at the entrance. Agreeing trenching and duct routes before groundworks start avoids digging up a finished driveway later.
Get a free entrance survey and quote
Tell us about your gate or barrier and we'll design a safe, automated entrance that ties into your cameras and alarm — book a free, no-obligation site survey today.
An entrance that opens for the right people and stops the rest
The studio above lets you try ANPR and configure a gate — but automating an entrance is a safety-critical trade with real engineering behind it. Here's what goes into a gate or barrier that works smoothly for years, and the questions worth asking anyone who quotes you.
The right drive for the entrance you have
Swing gates, sliders, barriers and bollards each suit different entrances, gradients and traffic. Heavy timber on a slope needs different engineering to an aluminium slider on a level car park; a busy commercial barrier needs a duty cycle a domestic kit would burn out in months. We install and service the professional drive systems — FAAC among them — matched to the entrance, not forced onto it.
Safety is the actual job
An automated gate is machinery that moves in a public place, and the European gate-safety requirements exist because badly installed gates have hurt people. Safety edges, photocell beams and calibrated force limits are designed in, then physically tested — we measure, not assume. Our engineers service gates from all installers, and poor safety setup is the most common fault we find on other people's work.
Ways in for every legitimate visitor
The entrance has to work for everyone you want through it: fobs and keypads for the family, video intercom to your phone for visitors and deliveries, ANPR that reads number plates so authorised vehicles glide through hands-free, and timed free-entry windows for business hours. The right mix comes from how your entrance is actually used across a day — something we work out with you at survey.
Built for British weather and years of cycles
Gates live outdoors and cycle thousands of times a year, which is why maintenance is not optional extras talk: hinges, releases, beams, loops and force settings all drift with weather and wear. An annual gate service keeps the entrance safe, smooth and out of the breakdown column — and our engineers carry out repairs on gates and barriers regardless of who installed them.
From first call to the gate swinging open
Free survey
We assess the entrance: gate weight and condition, gradient, sight lines, power, drainage and how traffic flows in and out across a day.
Design & quote
A written quotation covering drive system, safety equipment and entry methods — with the civils (posts, loops, power runs) spelt out, not discovered later.
Installation
Groundworks and cabling first, then drives, safety edges and beams, then entry systems — sequenced so an existing entrance stays usable as long as possible.
Commissioning & handover
Force limits measured and set, every safety device proven, manual release demonstrated to you in person, and entry methods programmed with you.
Aftercare
Annual servicing keeps safety compliant and movement smooth; repairs and upgrades are a phone call away — whoever originally fitted the gate.
The things everyone asks about automation
Can you automate my existing gate?
Often, yes — a sound gate on good posts can usually take a drive system. The survey checks weight, condition and hinges honestly; where a gate isn't worth automating we'll say so rather than bolt motors to a problem.
How do I get out in a power cut?
Every drive has a manual release — we demonstrate it at handover until you're comfortable — and battery backup can be included where the entrance must keep operating through an outage.
Is it safe with children and pets around?
Safety is the core of the job: calibrated force limits, safety edges that stop and reverse the gate on contact, and photocell beams that hold it open while anything is in the path. We physically test all of it at commissioning and at every service.
What is ANPR and do I need it?
Automatic number-plate recognition reads approaching plates and opens the entrance for vehicles on your list — no fob out of the window, no keypad in the rain. It shines on business entrances, gated communities and anywhere regular vehicles come and go.
How do deliveries and visitors get in?
A video intercom rings your phone wherever you are: see the caller, speak to them, open the gate from the sofa or another county. Couriers stop being a reason to leave the gate open all day.
How long does installation take?
A straightforward barrier or single swing gate is typically done within a few days including groundworks; larger entrances with civils take longer. The quote sets out the programme so you know what to expect.
Why is my current gate so unreliable?
Usually one of three things: an underpowered drive for the gate's weight, safety beams knocked out of line, or years without a service. Our engineers repair all makes — a service visit often transforms a gate written off as temperamental.
Will it survive the seafront weather?
Equipment is specified for outdoor life — sealed drives, marine-grade fixings where the location demands it — and annual servicing catches corrosion and wear before they become failures. Essex coastal entrances are home turf for us.
What does it cost to run?
Very little day to day — drives sip power and ANPR/intercom services are modest. The real ownership cost is maintenance, and a planned annual service is far cheaper than emergency call-outs and seized hardware.
Thinking about your entrance?
Configure it in the studio above, then book the free survey — we'll check the entrance properly and quote the whole job, civils included.
Frequently asked questions
A typical installation covers the gate or barrier automation kit (motors, control board and safety edges), the entry system you choose, and integration with ANPR cameras or smartphone access where required. Homeview Surveillance handles the groundwork, cabling, power and commissioning, and can tie the gate into a wider Ajax smart alarm and 4K CCTV setup so everything works together. Every domestic project starts with a free, no-obligation site survey across Essex and Suffolk to confirm the right approach for your driveway or access point.
ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) uses a camera to read approaching vehicle plates and open the gate automatically for those on an approved list, which is ideal for regular access without fobs. Smartphone entry lets you open gates, barriers or bollards from an app, see who is at the entrance, and grant one-off access to visitors or deliveries remotely. Both can run alongside keypads, intercoms and fobs, so you can mix methods to suit a home in Clacton or a business yard in Colchester.
Powered gates and barriers must be installed and maintained safely because they carry real crushing and shearing risks, so safety edges, photocells and force testing are part of a proper installation. Homeview Surveillance has been installing security and access systems since 1997 and is SSAIB and BAFE approved, giving you third-party assurance on workmanship and compliance. Force limits and safety devices are checked at commissioning and should be re-tested during routine maintenance.
Yes. Swing and sliding gates with smartphone entry suit domestic driveways, while rising barriers, ANPR and automatic bollards work well for business car parks, yards and shared access where you need to control vehicle flow. Homeview Surveillance serves homeowners and small businesses across Essex and Suffolk, and covers commercial contracts nationwide, so the system can be scaled from a single household gate to a multi-vehicle site.
An automated gate can be integrated with on-site CCTV and an Ajax smart alarm, and where you want alerts acted upon, monitoring can be linked to a 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre with police response. Maintenance keeps motors, safety edges and access controls working reliably and helps the system stay compliant over time. To get started, book the free, no-obligation survey on 01255 436150; finance options are available to spread the cost.