QR code plates will be added on to the Sankey Viaduct to enable people to learn about the site's historical significance.

A planning application, submitted by Dr Barrie Pennington, sought listed building consent for the creation of two QR code plates at the Nine Arches.

These would be "under the arch known as Number 3 as this archway has an existing footpath/cycle path directly under it".

Plans stated: "The purpose of the QR code plates is to provide instant access to the website and database of the National Transport Trust.

"There, the public can explore the history and significance of the Canal and Railway Revolutions and the part played by the Sankey Canal and Sankey Viaduct as pioneering works of engineering.

"It is proposed to position the plates directly underneath the two existing Red Wheel heritage plaques placed there to recognise the importance of the canal and viaduct thereby acknowledging the unique positioning of these two highly symbolic structures in one location".

Case officer Alex Ball recommended approval for the plans, stating in a report: "Sankey Viaduct’s significance lies in its historic and aesthetic value.

"Particularly in its distinctive architectural form and historical importance as the earliest major railway viaduct.

"The two QR code plates are small in size and will only be visible from the footpath, as such, they should not cause any visual harm to or impact on the overall significance of the listed structure.

"As the proposal aims to reduce the impact of the code plates on the masonry by using the mortar joints for mounting, any harm to the fabric of the structure should be minimal."

The application for the QR codes was granted permission.

The Sankey Canal was the first industrial canal in England completed some four years before the Bridgewater Canal and in no small way contributed to the growth of Liverpool as a major port by providing the quantities of coal needed in a speedy fashion.

The Sankey Viaduct, the first major crossing of its kind, built by George Stephenson between 1828 and 1830.

The bridge, built to let trains cross above the Sankey Canal, has international significance as the world’s earliest major railway viaduct still in use.