Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has confirmed the city has started the bidding process for the 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has confirmed the city is "prepared to lead a Northern Powerhouse" bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in a letter sent to British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Last month, Anderson said that they would be happy to work with neighbours Manchester to secure the hosting rights for the event.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese admitted they did not want to enter a competition with rivals but were still prepared to step in and replace Durban, who were stripped of the event in March after they failed to provide the required financial guarantees.

"I note with interest that Manchester has announced that it will not submit a bid to enter the 2022 Games," Anderson wrote in the letter to May.

"Against this context, Liverpool is also prepared to lead a Northern Powerhouse bid in partnership with Manchester and the wider region."

Another English city in Birmingham has also indicated they want to host the Games.

London is believed to be considering whether to put themselves forward.

Canada and Malaysia joined Australia and England in launching a bid for the event last week as they submitted their interest before the deadline of Friday (April 28), set by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Australia and the United Kingdom had already revealed that they planned to bid.

Manchester hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and is located only 35 miles from Liverpool.

An aquatics centre and velodrome were built for those Games and could be used again for 2022.

The stadium which hosted the ceremonies and athletics in 2002 is now exclusively a football ground used by English Premier League club Manchester City. 

Liverpool, it is claimed, could host the athletics at a new waterfront stadium planned for fellow Premier League side Everton.

"I am writing to thank you for the Government's commitment to undertake an open and transparent process to select a UK city as part of the CGF bidding process," Anderson wrote.

"Liverpool has submitted a request for the required information pack and has appointed a "world-class" team, headed by Brian Barwick, who will chair the city's Commonwealth Games Bid Board.

"We are now progressing at pace with the 2022 Games feasibility study which will be completed by the end of August 2017."

The main rivals to Liverpool and Manchester appear to be Birmingham.

They claim they already have 95 per cent of the facilities in place to hold the Games.

A feasibility study has reportedly identified several venues, including a temporary velodrome at the Barclaycard Arena, an indoor sporting and entertainment venue in the city centre.

There are also plans to expand the Alexander Stadium, which has previously hosted International Association of Athletics Federations Diamond League meetings, into a 40,000 capacity venue.

The main facility lacking in Birmingham's proposed bid is an Olympic-sized swimming pool but it is claimed one is being planned in the region. 

A panel of international experts and CGF staff are expected to investigate the bids put forward by the countries before making a recommendation to the Executive Board.

Due to the unexpectedly high interest, a decision, originally expected to be made by mid-summer, is now due to be made in the autumn.