NOVEMBER 1 has been pencilled in as the target date for re-opening Eastleigh's beleaguered Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Gallery.

But B&Q founder David Quayle, who has spearheaded a rescue operation for the gallery which has been closed for eight months, says much will depend on whether the Arts Council backs a four-year business plan and comes up with a "substantial" grant from lottery funds.

The shutters went up on the pioneering gallery housed in a converted church in Nightingale Avenue last summer when eight staff were made redundant.

The Beatrice Royal was opened in May 1994 following Mr Quayle's dream of creating a super-gallery. Under his leadership it became the largest gallery in the south and doubled its 5,000 square foot size in 1999 after a £1m lottery grant through the Arts Council.

Mr Quayle stood down some time after seeing the extension delivered on time and on budget - but made an offer to help get the popular Beatrice Royal's doors open again just three months ago. He said: "Lots of people put a lot of effort into it and it was a pity to see it go down and I thought 'let's have one more crack at it.'"

He told the Daily Echo that the main problem had centred on the gallery's methods of operation and the Charity Commission querying whether the Tramman Trust should be supporting the operating losses of its wholly-owned operating company, the Beatrice Royal Galleries Ltd.

But he said that situation had now been resolved with the Charity Commission absolving the gallery of any improper behaviour.

A new company with charitable objectives is in the process of being formed and, now, the gallery is waiting for a decision on its grant application from the Arts Council - expected to be announced in mid-May.

However, it has gone ahead with adverts to recruit an artistic director with a £40,000 salary package plus a gallery manager at £32,000 a year.

Mr Quayle said the gallery was also looking to recruit someone able to devote at least one day a week to the non-paid post of chairman of the trust. Volunteers are also being sought.

He added: "To be able to open on November 1 you have got to be in there three months beforehand, so you have to advertise the jobs before you have got the money. You have to go ahead with a certain amount of faith - but it is all a bit of a juggling act." If the gallery does succeed in re-opening, Mr Quayle does not intend to figure in the Beatrice Royal's future - unless approached.