Lib Dems lead calls for action after flooding tragedy

Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader Councillor Carl Cashman will use the full council meeting to call for action in the wake of tragic flooding deaths in Liverpool last month.

Councillor Cashman is calling on Liverpool City Council to install warning signage and depth gauge at the Dovedale Road bridge on Queens Drive. This comes after Elaine and Philip Marco’s tragic death after becoming trapped in flood water at that spot in August 2023. He wants push further for other potential flash flood danger zones within the city to be identified and proper warning signage and to have preventative measures installed.

The Lib Dems want to highlight that many parts of the city are facing danger on two fronts as climate change is worsening the intensity and increasing the frequency of torrential rain events, and the old and inadequate infrastructure is unable to handle the increased capacity. 

They believe that with proactive flood management and improvements to infrastructure can help reduce the risk of future serious flooding incidents.

Councillor Carl Cashman said, “This isn’t the first time that this spot has flooded, and it certainly won’t be the last. It was only a month prior Elaine and Philip Marco’s death that another person had to be rescued from that same spot. We need to take action.

“Much of the drainage infrastructure in that part of the city is over 100 years old and not able to handle the capacity of rain we’re experiencing now. Councillor Richard Kemp had the drains under Dovedale Road Bridge rodded before the tragedy, but they failed because they were under capacity.

“This issue goes far beyond whether or not the drains had been cleared but comes down to the fact that our climate is changing, torrential rain events are becoming more common, and we need adapt to it. The best thing we can do to prevent further tragedies is to be prepared, improve our infrastructure and give motorists ample warning about the dangers that could face.”