Residents in uproar over the prospect of a massive tourist attraction on their doorsteps are now being told the site is undecided.

People living at Harbourside Park, Poole, received letters from a senior council officer telling them their area has been identified as a "potential location" for the Solar Pyramid. It invited them to a meeting where details of the giant sundial would be discussed. The council has confirmed no letters to other areas have been delivered.

But residents who raised the matter at a meeting claim Conservative councillors told them no location had been revealed. That would emerge from a £40,000 feasibility study, due to start by the end of November.

Baiter resident David Howard said: "They are backtracking so fast now. I think they realise they have a can of worms here."

Mr Howard, chairman of Parkstone Bay Association, said: "As this 150ft high attraction' covers an area of 2,500sqm and requires foundations some 65m deep it is difficult to envisage what other possible locations the council has in mind, but no doubt they will inform us in due course."

Liberal Democrat Cllr Brian Clements said he had attended several confidential briefings where Baiter was named as the location and was shocked to hear it being denied at a public meeting.

He said both the tourism and the town centre management boards supported the project, which could bring much needed business, particularly to the Quay area.

"It was made clear that location at Baiter was the only way of achieving that result. I also formed a strong impression that negotiations with developers were based on that location," he said.

However, Conservative Cllr Don Collier said: "The proposal from the company is Baiter. We haven't made our minds up, we are looking at it. There will be loads of debate about it. It's not being done in smoke-filled rooms."

Jim Bright, strategic director for Borough of Poole, said: "The council has not pre-determined a location for the Solar Pyramid proposal.

"Harbourside Park is a potential location and was used during initial testing to see if the project could be viable in a Poole setting. Other locations will be considered as part of more detailed assessment of the prop-osal."

  • The Daily Echo's website has received a huge response to this story and to its web poll.

We asked if you backed the pyramid.

As we went to press 469 people had voted of whom 26 per cent (123) were in favour and 74 per cent (346) against.