MOMENTUM is growing for a campaign to create a new pathway in countryside around Brighton and Hove.

The Brighton and Hove Way Association wants signposts to guide walkers around a 19-mile circuit from Saltdean Oval in the east to Portslade in the west.

On Thursday the group held its inaugural meeting at Hove Town Hall.

Councillor Pete West, the former mayor of Brighton and Hove and chairman of the association, is spearheading the campaign which he said would get residents out into the countryside around the city.

The route will use existing pathways, passing attractions such as Stanmer House, Castle Hill National Nature Reserve and the Chattri war memorial near Patcham.

The signage will also be updated with QR codes for smart phone users to access information about the sites.

Brighton and Hove Way, set up as an unincorporated association, has received the backing of Brighton and Hove City Council’s parks department but will need to raise the funds to pay for the signs.

Although the cost of the scheme hasn’t been worked out, Cllr West suggested it would not be too expensive.

He said the association would apply for grants from charitable and environmental organisations.

The association will also need to create a group of volunteer wardens to check for wear and tear on parts of the pathway as footfall increases.

Cllr West said his passion for walking led to the idea of creating the Brighton and Hove Way.

He said: “Like many people I enjoy being out in the countryside but I have a particular passion for walking long-distance paths.

“I’ve walked the South Downs Way twice, plus many other paths on the British Isles and in southern Europe, so I have a lot of experience of them and a real passion for them.

“The South Downs Way is great but doesn’t come anywhere near the city.

“It misses the wonderful areas we have close at hand.

“I thought we really need a path that celebrates the downland around the back of the city and I think it would be hugely popular. “