A RECORD producer and businessman has called for a monorail system to be installed as an answer to growing congestion problems.

David Courtney, born and raised in Brighton, has renewed his call for a "seafront rapid transport system" to shuttle people along the coast between the city's marina and Shoreham Airport.

The 66-year-old, now living in Hurstpierpoint, said: "We are missing another link here and need something in the city to ease all the congestion.

"And we not only need something now but we have got to deal with the future.

"I don't know how the seafront is going to cope."

Though his vision resembles a monorail, he does not like the term.

He said: "We try not to use the word monorail. Some people feel it's a bit of an older expression."

In partnership with builder-businessman John Regan, Mr Courtney first presented plans for the scheme to Brighton and Hove City Council in 2008.

But officials did not share the duo's enthusiasm for the scheme.

Mr Courtney said: "We had one of the world's leading engineering companies, Arup, behind us, Frazer Nash, a world-leading company in electric vehicle technology and, most importantly, the financial backing."

Recent reports of plans for the seafront, the towering progress of the i360 and news on the King Alfred development prompted Mr Courtney to dust off his files.

Mr Courtney's friend, distinguished Brighton-based architect Nick Lomax, revealed his own plans last month - which included relocating Volk's Railway from its site in Madeira Drive.

While that met opposition from locals, Mr Courtney intends for his seafront transport system to run alongside or above Volk's Railway.

He said: "Volk's Railway is a piece of heritage so you can't call it high-speed.

"With this plan, you would have the oldest electric railway in the world working alongside a state-of-the-art rapid transport system."

The original proposal also included financial support for Volk's Railway offering restoration funding and the construction of a new station and visitors' centre.

He accepts not everyone will be behind it and is keen on a referendum as a means of letting people decide.

Mr Courtney said: "I have always been a big fan of referendums. In fact I remember when my uncle Henry Cohen proposed the Marina - we had a referendum to let the people decide and the same could be proposed here."

The Argus ran a snap poll online last month in reaction to Mr Lomax's seafront masterplan, which incorporated Mr Courtney's monorail-style transport system.

Almost half - 47 per cent - said they loved the designs and would urge leaders to push ahead with the plans.

A total of 34 per cent said they thought there were some good ideas with just 20 per cent stating the seafront should stay as it is.