SENIOR council officials are in talks with the Beacon in a bid to resolve cash and management woes that have surrounded the centre since it opened.

Inverclyde Council, who helped fund the £10 million development, stepped in after the arts centre was thrown into turmoil following revelations of cash flow problems and boardroom bust-ups.

Management have also been embroiled in a £2m dispute with the construction company Graham, who built the waterfront venue.

The Tele can reveal that Councillor David Wilson is the latest elected member to quit in a series of director resignations that have blighted the board in recent months.

Council leader Stephen McCabe says the Beacon must emerge in a much stronger position from the crisis.

He said: “At the end of the day we want the Beacon to be a viable business and to ensure that it can live within its means in the long term.

“We are working with the Arts Guild to find a resolution to issues, including the problems with the contractors.

“We want to get to a point where we draw a line under the events and start to talk about the Beacon and the arts that it provides.” It has emerged that council officials — rather than councillors — could now be placed on the board as a recovery plan is put into action.

Councillor McCabe said: “This is a possibility we are looking at. It could be that we need to look at what expertise is needed.

“We cannot control and we wouldn’t seek to control the arts guild, as a charitable trust it has to operate at arms length.

“Obviously we want to ensure that we are providing the support it needs.” Financial problems first started to emerge in December last year and since then the drama has continued to unfold.

In that time two chairmen have resigned and a number of board members have also exited.

New chairman Allan Robertson, the former provost, has been charged with putting in place a full recovery plan.

Cllr McCabe added: “For me Allan is a first rate individual who can take this all forward.” Councillor David Wilson, who resigned last month, said: “In my resignation letter I wished Allan Robertson and the board all the best.

“With Allan as chairman I think the Beacon is in good hands going forward.

“My resignation has absolutely nothing to do with the arts guild board.”