Owner of Batman film manor faces possible loss over protected bats

Simon Halabi, once valued at around $4.3 billion, purchased Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire from the Rothschild family in 1999. The mansion, famously used as Wayne Manor in the 2005 film Batman Begins, has fallen into disrepair and now requires immediate work. Because all bat species are legally protected, the local council has instructed Halabi to provide evidence that a qualified bat ecologist has surveyed the roof for nesting animals.

He has one month to submit the report, or the council could request that the government acquire the property pending legal action. Henrietta Billings of Save Britain’s Heritage praised the move as a chance to carry out overdue repairs on the historic 1854 building. The manor has also appeared in other productions such as The Mummy Returns and a Spice Girls music video.