I’m the wrong person to have that particular discussion with, because I hate DIY solutions which bypass safety features. 
( Combination of a previous career as an engineer and my current status as a person who uses a wheelchair.)
The main issue is that once you allow for automated control when you are no longer in sight of the door, such as taking out your mobile phone at the office and instructing the door to close at home, you’ve introduced a whole new set of potential hazards. That’s why the networked controllers which do allow out of sight operation tend to also have a flashing light or a beeping sound or something like that. Because there isn’t a human nearby who can see exactly what’s happening as they operate the control.
As far as the UK goes, I know there are some UK members using garadget.