The scene on Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool, where two people died after driving a car into a flood(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Temporary warning signs at an area impacted by frequent flooding were rejected by Liverpool Council officials with a senior manager claiming it could make drivers complacent. Addressing the fourth day of the inquest into the deaths of Elaine and Philip Marco, who were caught in 15 feet high flood waters on Queens Drive in August 2023, Ian Wiggins, city council team leader for road safety, said the risk of additional flooding was thought to be low despite four incidents before the couple died.
Senior coroner Andre Rebello also criticised Mr Wiggins and his colleagues for their lack of note taking during meetings around the potential installation of signage before the Marcos’ death. The hearing was told how a request for permanent signage was made in July 2023 following a third flooding event in three months but this was delayed owing to IT issues.
Mr Wiggins told the inquest how a risk to life at the location would be determined by the depth of water recorded during a flooding event. He rejected the suggestion an external investigation into previous floods had been instigated for this reason.
When asked if additional signage could have been installed years before Mr and Mrs Marco died when their car became submerged in water underneath a bridge during their journey home from a family gathering, Mr Wiggins answered yes. He said however the city council “made an assessment that signs weren’t required.”
The scene on Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
He added how the local authority would follow guidance set by the Department for Transport around signage use and said if some were installed that did not seem relevant due to the frequency of flooding, it may have led to “complacency” from drivers. He said this would make their impact “less effective.”
Mr Wiggins said he had a conversation with colleagues Laura Gilmore and Lee Welsh “on or around July 18” after the third flooding incident. He said it was agreed the city council would wait for the outcome of a section 19 external investigation before any long-term plans were implemented but an agreement was reached for additional signage.
On July 24, Mr Welsh requested a design for the signage but this was hampered by IT issues meaning they were not installed before the Marcos’ death on August 26.
Mr Wiggins’ statement said usually signs of this nature would take between six and eight weeks to be designed and installed. Asked by Mr Rebello and Anthony Metzer KC – acting on behalf of the Marco family – on the lack of notes taken during these meetings, Mr Wiggins accepted it had not helped the inquest but “not every conversation” required minutes.
Mr Rebello was stinging in his response to this. He said: “Any competent public authority keeps notes to justify their decision making.”
Asked by Mr Metzer if the council took the matter seriously, Mr Wiggins replied: “We took the issue seriously hence why we took the decision to install signage.” The council worker said he accepted there had been frequent flooding at the location but said signs could only be used when it actually occurred.
Asked about the use of possible temporary signs, Mr Wiggins said he and his colleagues had discussions about what the most appropriate cause of action is but this was “discounted.” He said this was due to the topography of the road and limited space around Queens Drive to place the signs, which usually stood on an A-frame and were low in level.
Mr Wiggins accepted there was a risk people would drive into flood water and this was evident by previous stranded vehicles but given work undertaken by United Utilities, it was felt the risk of additional flooding was low. He said: “I’d like to think we did everything in our power with the information we had at the time.”
The inquest continues.