POOLE'S cabinet is expected to finally bury the Solar Pyramid plan when it meets tomorrow.

The demise of the controversial scheme was announced on January 10 when council leader Cllr Brian Leverett declared the council was withdrawing from the privately-funded proposal.

The concept for a giant tourist attraction in Poole town centre was popular with the tourism and the town centre management boards but raised a storm of protest from angry residents, whose Harbourside Park (Baiter) was the preferred site.

All reference to Poole has now been removed from the Solar Pyramid team's website following a letter from the Borough of Poole saying it can no longer support the proposal.

Two reports are due to go to cabinet, one from chief executive John McBride and a second from the scrutiny committee call-in, which looked at the £40,000 feasibility study.

Its members rejected the cabinet decision to approve the sum and referred it back to them with the strong recommendation it should go to full council.

In his report Mr McBride said it became clear at the presentation given by Solar Pyramid Ltd to business people on December 10 at Compton Acres that plans were changing and there was now a "significant commercial content" to a visitor centre.

"This had not been the case in previous discussions. Officers had been told a few days before the presentation that the management structure of the company had changed significantly. There had been no forewarning of either of these changes," he said.

This has been contested by David Howard, chairman of Parkstone Bay Association. He said a report to cabinet from strategic director Jim Bright on November 6 pointed out the skills of the team had been added to along with a visitor and interpretative centre below the base.

"It also confirmed that fee paying visitors and sales at a shop together with café facilities were to be added," he said.

Cabinet is being asked to make a formal decision about the council's relationship with Solar Pyramid Ltd.