MENTMORE TOWERS OWNER ORDERED TO CONDUCT BAT SURVEY

Buckinghamshire Council has ordered the owner of Mentmore Towers to commission a bat survey within one month or face compulsory purchase of the grade I-listed property. The council served a repairs notice on 4 August, citing failing masonry and water ingress requiring urgent action. Before any repair work can proceed, the owner must ensure that ecological surveys and mitigation measures are undertaken, including the bat survey. Mentmore Towers Limited, which has owned the property since 1999, must complete three bat-emergence surveys before August 2027.

The Aylesbury mansion was used as Wayne Manor in Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale. The property has also featured in The Mummy Returns, Ali G Indahouse and the 2026 film Pressure. Mentmore Towers was formerly owned by the Rothschild family. Historic England has added the building to its "at risk register", noting that it faces immediate risk of "rapid deterioration or loss of fabric". Weekly inspections by council and Historic England officers must be permitted once repair work begins.

Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain's Heritage, said in a statement that the organisation welcomes the council's action and urged the owners to undertake immediate repairs. The Secretary of State can make a compulsory purchase order if satisfied that the building has been allowed to fall into disrepair. The notice represents formal action to prevent further deterioration of the listed structure.