APT Controls keeps GP parking in best of health

Problems with unauthorised parking at the busy Chrisp Street Health Centre has prompted the installation of a new MCS barrier from APT Controls.

Problems with unauthorised parking at the busy Chrisp Street Health Centre in London's East End have prompted the installation of a new MCS barrier from APT Controls - the UK's leading vehicle access control company - complete with an electro-magnetic nesting post to prevent damage by youngsters swinging or sitting on the barrier arm.

The installation follows a recent extension to the surgery which co-incided with the previous barrier - also provided by APT Controls - coming to the end of its operational life after 23 years.

Such was the reliability and durability of the previous technology, that it was an easy decision for Practice Manager Simon Robinson to approach APT Controls for a new one.

"We had an old APT Controls barrier that had worked very well over many years, and so it was natural to want another one," he says.

"It was noticeable that when the barrier was removed for construction work, the incidents of unauthorised parking went up, and little bumps and scratches to cars became a problem.

Now they have stopped again.

"When we were visited by APT, we discussed some of the new issues including the problems of local teenagers swinging on the barrier arm.

The engineer recommended we install a nesting post to make the installation even more robust, and this has been particularly effective in preventing any damage".

The MCS barriers are highly durable and rugged, featuring arms manufactured from a special APT aluminium profile with a secure fixing bracket to achieve maximum rigidity against impact, whiplash, and vandalism.

The balanced spring mechanism, together with a four-bar link motion control ensures a smooth arm action and protects the gearbox from unnecessary stress.

The post - developed by the company's in-house engineers - is designed to further secure the barrier arm in the "down" position, making it virtually impossible for the arm to be lifted by hand.

This increases the security of the installation, and reduces the chances of the barrier arm being vandalised.

When correctly installed and maintained (ie at an ambient temperature not exceeding 35 degrees Centigrade) the holding force is up to 80 kilos.

The nesting post in this case is installed such that it can be removed in the event of any large deliveries to the Centre.

The Chrisp Street Health Centre is a large inner city practice with 11 GPs responsible for more than 11,000 patients.

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