The custodians of the Grade I-listed Buckinghamshire mansion used as Wayne Manor in Batman Begins have responded to local authority demands for ecological checks, insisting their team is already on the case. Buckinghamshire Council served a listed-building repairs notice to the property last month, requiring the owners of Mentmore Towers in rural Buckinghamshire to fix crumbling masonry and conduct mandatory bat surveys. Campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage confirmed the notice demands immediate action to halt the decay of the stately home’s roof.
In response, a spokesman speaking on behalf of the owner, property tycoon Simon Halabi, dismissed claims of inaction, stating that "professional surveys, ecological investigations and preparatory work towards a programme of repairs and restoration are already actively progressing". Confirming their dedication to the country house, which featured in the 2005 movie, the representative added: "The Halabi family trust remain absolutely committed to the long-term preservation and restoration of Mentmore Towers." They stated that: "The suggestion that nothing is being done at the property is false." The spokesman said Mentmore’s “own Batman team has already been on the case” in seeking bat emergence surveys. They are necessary professional and statutory steps before responsible works can be undertaken on a Grade I-listed building of the age, scale and importance of Mentmore Towers.” The mansion, near Leighton Buzzard, is the only surviving major work in Britain by Crystal Palace designer Joseph Paxton, Save Britain’s Heritage said, and will appear in the upcoming war film, Pressure.
Mentmore’s owners hit back at Buckinghamshire Council in the lengthy statement, issued on Wednesday, saying the council had taken legal action which resulted in security fencing being removed. Security personnel have had to deal with intrusions and the police have been contacted on numerous occasions,” the spokesman said. These steps are also aimed to reducing incidents which have taken up police time and therefore taxpayers’ money to deal with.
If the notice is not dealt with, the council could seek government approval to acquire the mansion, subject to further legal action, the BBC reported. It said the notice ordered bat surveys be completed by next August and, once works begin, the council and Historic England officers must be allowed to inspect the building weekly. Mentmore’s owners also said there was an issue with a temporary storage shed, which they said was installed to “protect and securely store important architectural features, doors, building components, equipment and materials required for the repair and eventual restoration” of the mansion.
This is why we’ve already issued a Repairs Notice to the site owners.
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