Council rejects call to protect home from crashes

Sharon Neall said her property in Shefford in Bedfordshire had been struck twice in recent years

A woman's call for a council to install safety barriers outside her home to prevent drivers from crashing into it has been refused.

Sharon Neall's property in Shefford, Bedfordshire, has been hit twice in three years, leaving it uninhabitable.

Central Bedfordshire Council said that railings and bollards would "pose more of a threat to road users" and redesigning the junction "would be a significant cost".

"We will continue to monitor safety in the area and take appropriate action if the data justifies it," a spokesperson said.

Mrs Neall, 55, is living in rented accommodation but is set to move back home at the end of the month

Mrs Neall, whose home is part of a row of cottages, said she had "experienced first-hand the devastation and distress" caused by the collisions.

The 55-year-old is in rented accommodation and expects to move back in at the end of the month.

"Each incident not only impacted my life, but highlighted the urgent need for preventative measures," she said.

In March 2022, an ambulance slammed into her home after its brakes failed. She said she "never imagined it could happen again".

However, in February 2025 it did, when a driver crashed into the property, leaving it structurally damaged and unliveable.

She started a petition which called for safety measures to be installed, which has been signed by more than 900 people.

"I'm not looking forward to moving back into my own home, if I'm honest."

MP for Hitchin Alistair Strathern had written to Central Bedfordshire Council on Mrs Neall's behalf

The Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, wrote to Central Bedfordshire Council on her behalf.

In an email, the local authority said the site had been assessed by officers and that it was not a "simply case of installing a railing".

"[An] impact protection system could in fact pose more of a threat to road users and occupants," they explained.

"Redesign of the junction, as well as potential utility service diversions, would be a significant cost and is not proportionate in response to an incident that is highly unlikely to occur again."

Mrs Neall has not given up hope yet, and together with other residents, she has gone back to the council outlining her perspective.

"Were giving this one more push, and then see what happens," she said.

"I think if it doesn't happen, I really don't think I can do much more to be honest."