DONALD Campbell, the legendary speed-hero who met his death attempting to break the land-speed record on Coniston Water some 34 years ago, will finally be laid to rest in a fittingly-epic funeral on Wednesday amid arguments over the future of his boat Bluebird, writes Jennie Dennett.

The Campbell family is due to hear on Monday whether the ownership of the Bluebird wreckage is to be challenged in the High Court by Sussex-based Paul Foulkes-Hubbard.

The Campbell enthusiast has until September 10 to submit his arguments to the London court where judges will rule if there is a case to answer.

Meanwhile, The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum Charitable trust is continuing to press Lake District National Park planners for permission to build an extension on The Ruskin Museum to house Bluebird.

Museum curator Vicky Slowe said: "The application was submitted purely to make sure there would be a home for Bluebird if and when everything comes together.

"We want to represent the view of the people of Coniston who have protected the Campbell legend and who want to continue doing so."

If the Campbell family secures ownership of the Bluebird, Miss Slowe hoped it could go on public display at Castle Donnington, near Derby, for a year while the museum designed and built the extension.

At a Lake District National Park Authority development control meeting on Tuesday, members voted against rejecting the proposal despite considerable anxiety about setting a precedent for commercial building outside Coniston's village boundary.

LDNPA Planning Officer Rachael Nutman confirmed that the authority was now seeking assurances from the museum trust that the extension would only house the Bluebird wreckage and that this could be guaranteed for a minimum of five years.

If the Ruskin Museum can marshal the necessary documents for the planning committee and there are no public objections to the proposal, the matter could be settled as soon as October 1.

Meanwhile, Coniston and the Campbell family are bracing themselves for the imminent celebration of Donald Campbell's life at a grand funeral on Wednesday, September 12.

Proceedings will begin at 11.15am when Mr Campbell's coffin is carried across the lake by boat to the crash site where Bluebird sank as it approached a record 320mph in 1967.

The coffin will then be met at 12.15pm at Coniston Boatlandings by a horse-drawn hearse and the personal piper to Formula One racing driver David Coulthard.

Donald Campbell's daughter, Gina Campbell, said everyone was welcome to join the cortege up the Lake Road and also to listen to the church service at St Andrews, due to begin at 1pm.

"If the weather is fine, the doors will be open," she said.

The 50-minute funeral, which will be filmed by the BBC, will include a performance by Marillion lead-singer Steve Hogarth, who was moved to write a song about Mr Campbell.

The 40-strong K-Shoes Male Voice choir will also perform.

A simultaneous service will be held on Coniston Launch, which is fully booked by people who will be able to lay wreaths and flowers on the water of the lake.

After the funeral, Mr Campbell's coffin will be taken by hearse on a procession around Coniston, past his memorial and back to the churchyard.

As the speed-hero is finally interred beneath a temporary headstone carved with the emblem of the Bluebird, Tornado GR4 aircraft from the No 12 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth will fly an aerial tribute at 2.30pm.

Miss Campbell said she hoped the cortege and the simultaneous ceremony on Coniston Launch would allow the many people who have expressed a wish to attend the funeral to be included.