The owner of Mentmore Towers, the stately home that served as Bruce Wayne's mansion in Christopher Nolan's Batman films, has been ordered by Buckinghamshire Council to conduct bat surveys and undertake necessary repairs, or risk the property being compulsorily acquired. The Grade I-listed building, famously known as Wayne Manor, faces a compulsory purchase order if a licensed bat ecologist is not appointed to assess its wildlife.
Buckinghamshire Council stated that the surveys are "reasonably necessary for the proper preservation" of the building, which has reportedly fallen into disrepair. Historic England has described the condition of the property, built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family, as "very bad." Photographs on the council's notice revealed cracks in walls, broken windows, and ivy-covered walls. Bat droppings were also found during a property visit.
The formal listed-building repairs notice requires the owner to appoint a contractor experienced in repairing listed buildings. Failure to comply could lead to the council seeking government approval to acquire the mansion, initiating further legal action. Three bat-emergence surveys are mandated to be completed by August 2027, along with obtaining any necessary Natural England licenses and implementing recommendations. Council and Historic England officers will be permitted weekly inspections once repairs commence.
Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain's Heritage, welcomed the council's action, urging the owners to undertake immediate repairs after what she described as "too long" of neglect. The property has been owned by Syrian-British businessman Simon Halabi since 1999. Halabi's initial plans to convert Mentmore Towers into a luxury hotel with 171 suites were halted in 2004 by a High Court injunction. Although a subsequent judicial review found the planning permission decision to be "unimpeachable," his hotel conversion plans were abandoned following financial difficulties related to the housing market collapse.
Before Halabi's ownership, the previous owners operated a country club with an 18-hole golf course on the estate, which ceased trading in 2015. Company filings from May indicate that Mentmore Towers Ltd, of which Halabi is a director, is currently a dormant company. In addition to its use in the Batman franchise, Mentmore Towers has appeared in films such as "The Mummy Returns," "Ali G Indahouse," and "Johnny English," and has been featured in music videos for Haddaway's "What Is Love" and the Spice Girls' "Goodbye."