Liverpool, Jun 20 (IANS): Civic leaders in Liverpool have pleaded with the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to keep the English city's World Heritage status.

A letter, signed by City Mayor Joanne Anderson, Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the CEOs of English Premier League clubs Everton FC and Liverpool FC, was sent to the committee on Saturday ahead of a critical decision over the city's World Heritage status to be made in July, reports Xinhua news agency.

Local media reported that key figures from Liverpool's cultural, economic and academic sectors have also signed the joint letter.

Liverpool has, since 2012, been on UNESCO's register of sites in danger over major redevelopment plans for large areas of the city's waterfront dockland area which falls within the zone covered by the coveted status.

The recent decision by Liverpool Planning Committee to give a go-ahead to Everton FC to build a new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock within the World Heritage area, has brought the plight of the city's World Heritage status into sharp focus ahead of the World Heritage Committee meeting in late July.

"In advance of the World Heritage Committee meeting in July, we are asking the committee members to defer any decision on the city's status and, instead, accept an invitation to visit Liverpool at some point during the next 12 months," the signatories said in their letter.

"On the issue of Liverpool's World Heritage Site, we would like to make it absolutely clear that the city does not want to lose this status," they added.