BEE Gees' star Robin Gibb is set to inherit a lay-by from Buckinghamshire County Council.

Mr Gibb, one of the brothers who formed the group, will own a lay-by on the A355 when the council and him have agreed where the new boundary between the lay-by and the road is drawn.

County councillor Margaret Dewar said: "The legal section of the county are battling with the owner. You may know the land near the lay-by is owned by one of the Bee Gees, Robin Gibb. It is proving very difficult to tie them down."

Buckinghamshire County Council lawyers have been attempting to close the lay-by on the A355 because of fears of travellers moving into the lay-by with caravans and last year the town council asked the county council to close some of the lay-bys on the road.

Cllr Dewar, who describes herself as a big fan of the Bee Gees, said: "I have always boasted that he was one of my electors. My favourite song they did was 'Words.' I liked Ronan Keating's version but it was not as good as the original.

"There are four lay-bys on that road so it is not a great loss to the public.

"The problem is Mr Royston, the cabinet member for transport, has approved closing the lay-by but we have to go by the Traffic Act."

One of the conditions in the law is that adjoining land owners should be consulted before the council closes a lay-by.

If the lay-by was closed, the land owner, Mr Gibb, would become responsible for the boundary fence and the new land, she said, and added: "I do not think it is Mr Gibb being difficult. I just think the problem is with his legal advisers. The county officer is having some problems with getting the legal paperwork done."

She added: "This has been going on for 18 months. I would like to see a full stop behind this now."

County legal officer Terry Holland said: "The trouble is we have to work out where the services run so contractors can have access to them 24 hours a day. That is proving to be a bit if a hold up."

12:21pm Thursday 31st October 2002

Print   Email this