A CAMPAIGNER has come up with a novel use for Sussex’s tallest tourist attraction – converting it into a giant sundial.

John Kapp has proposed using the 162 metre shadow cast by the British Airways i360 to help tell the date and the time in the historic square below.

The quirky proposal is part of a £300,000 planned refurbishment for Regency Square to coincide with the long-awaited opening of the £46 million attraction.

i360 bosses have said they support the illuminating scheme in principle but did not have the time to pursue it currently.

Mr Kapp said the 19th century square should be improved by paving the whole of the lower lawn with crazy paving, cobbles and rejuvenating its railings.

For an additional £20,000 the Hove resident has proposed creating the sundial by incorporating 60 metres of white marble paths, 120 brass numbered bricks, eight information boards and 30 park benches.

The brightly coloured white paths would be visible from the ride and would be marked with scales which would indicate the time and date when the shadow of the i360 tower fell on them.

Mr Knapp initially proposes painting pavements with white santex with scales of time and date in black paint in time for the i360 opening before eventually setting the paths permanently in white marble to be funded by a public donation campaign.

He added there could be an additional exhibit to celebrate the winter solstice meridian line in the car parks of Waitrose and Heather Court.

Mr Kapp said the exhibit could be accurate within two minutes of clock time and within two days of the actual date allowing for leap years.

He said he took inspiration from a similar sun dial built in Rome in 9 AD by the emperor Augustus using a 30 metre stone obelisk.

Mr Kapp said there is a need for urgency in paving over the historic lawns prior to the i360 opening this summer because of concerns that the attraction’s visitors will damage the grass.

He said: “The idea of using the i360 tower as a sundial came to me from a street exhibit in Florence where there is a five metre vertical post gnomon [vertical part of a sundial].

“The i360 tower would make a perfect gnomon because it is parallel sided and would probably be the biggest un-shadowed gnomon in the world."

Eleanor Harris, chief executive of British Airways i360, said: “We support in principle but don't have time to pursue this pre-opening as we are a small team and are focusing on getting the i360 open at the moment.”