AROUND £1.3 million is set to be spent to temporarily move the Cenotaph on Bridge Foot and carry out repairs to the river bank.

The council's executive board will vote on plans to temporarily move the monument, while the work is done, next Monday.

The masonry river wall – along the section of the Mersey immediately below the Cenotaph – was found to be in a poor state during a routine inspection of bridge and riverside structures.

High water levels and increased river flow have exacerbated the condition in recent years, causing part of the river wall to collapse.

The authority said it is 'difficult to accurately predict the rate of deterioration' of the river wall, as this will be heavily influenced by prevailing weather and river flood conditions.

The work will also include improved accessibility to the site.

Cllr Russ Bowden, deputy leader of the council, said: "It's only right and proper that we maintain the Cenotaph to a high standard.

"Given what this memorial represents, we should certainly do everything within our power to preserve the site for future generations."

The council said the Cenotaph would be temporarily moved to 'a secure site within the borough'.

The council has already consulted with key stakeholders over the plans.

If approved, the work would take place after Remembrance Sunday this year and the site would be ready before the same date in 2018.

The Cenotaph and war memorial at Bridge Foot was completed in 1925 and has been used as a focus for memorial events and Remembrance Sunday ever since.