A dream to create the world's first purpose-built space for the rapidly-growing sport of free running is in the hands of television viewers.

Free runners want to build an urban playground for their sport - known as parkour - and will go head-to-head with another community project for £50,000 of lottery cash on the new ITV show The People's Millions.

If the playground gets the nod from the public it will be built within a year on the site of the derelict children's paddling pool between the piers on Brighton seafront.

Parkour involves using the streets as an obstacle course. Free runners race across the skyline using every railing, roof, barrier and window sill as a stepping stone.

The urban playground would feature a series of walls and platforms constructed with the soft tarmac used in children's play areas for free runners to practise their moves.

It would be the first of its kind in the world.

Free runners' group Seafront Freestyle, which came up with the scheme, envisages a playground in which anybody would be able to use the space to play and perform in any way they saw fit.

Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of Brighton and Hove City Council's environment committee, said: "If enough local people support the scheme we can do two excellent things: regenerate this final section of the seafront between the piers and provide some truly exciting sports facilities for young people." Alister O'Loughlin, of Seafront Freestyle, said: "The urban playground will provide the city with a structure unique in the world.

"It will encourage health and fitness and active participation in the city's cultural life."

The playground is part-funded by Brighton and Hove Arts Commission, following its selection as one of five winners that are sharing a £100,000 Making a Difference fund, for public art in Brighton and Hove.

The commission has given £35,000 to the urban playground, though part of that has already been spent on research and development.

To become a reality it needs another £70,000, making the People's Millions money crucial.

Paul Hudson, of the Arts Commission, said: "The People's Millions was announced three weeks after plans for the urban playground.

"It is such fantastic timing. This could make it happen and we are urging everyone in Brighton and Hove to vote."

The urban playground will compete with a rival project in Kent in Meridian's local news show at 6pm on October 31. Tune in to find out how to vote.