Council sparks row with landlord of historic Batman mansion amid fears of real bat swarm hidden within

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The property's 'own Batman team has already been on the case' in seeking bat emergence surveys, a spokesman said

A council has thrust into dispute with the landlord of a historic Buckinghamshire mansion used in the Batman films over the condition of the Grade I-listed building and fears of a real-life bat swarm lurking within.

Mentmore Towers, in Aylesbury, has become the centre of a row over building repairs, bat surveys and security at the historic property.

The mansion, which has featured in films such as the Dark Knight trilogy, Eyes Wide Shut, The Mummy and Ali G Indahouse, is also due to appear in the upcoming war film Pressure.

Buckinghamshire Council issued a repair notice last month, calling on the owners to undertake bat surveys and address problems with the building's masonry.

However, a spokesman for Mentmore Towers, representing owner and property tycoon Simon Halabi, rejected suggestions that the property was being neglected.

"Professional surveys, ecological investigations and preparatory work towards a programme of repairs and restoration are already actively progressing," the spokesman said.

"The suggestion that nothing is being done at the property is false."

They added that professional consultants and contractors had been appointed since correspondence from the council earlier this year.

Specialist surveys, asbestos investigations and other preparatory work has taken place, while a formal ecological and bat-survey programme had been commissioned and started, the spokesman assured.

He also said the property's "own Batman team has already been on the case" in seeking bat emergence surveys.

"These are not cosmetic exercises," the spokesman said, "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."

Mentmore Towers was built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family and is the only surviving major work in Britain by architect Joseph Paxton, who also designed the Crystal Palace.

Historic England currently describes the mansion as being in "very bad" condition and gives its vulnerability a "high" classification.

The owners have also raised concerns about security at the site, claiming the property has experienced repeated unauthorised entry and trespassing.

The spokesman said temporary security fencing had been installed to prevent people from entering the building, and to protect both its historic fabric and visitors from potential danger.

However, he claimed Buckinghamshire Council had taken legal action that resulted in the fencing having to be removed.

Peter Strachan, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for planning, said: "Our focus and priority is making sure this Grade I-listed building – well known and well loved in Buckinghamshire – is protected and preserved."

He said the council had issued the repair notice for that reason and was also aware of work carried out at the site without planning permission.

"We've looked into and are taking appropriate enforcement action on," he said.

If the repair notice is not complied with, the council could seek government approval to acquire the property, subject to further legal proceedings.

Mentmore Towers famously doubled as Wayne Manor, the ancestral home of Bruce Wayne, in Christopher Nolan’s 2005 superhero blockbuster, Batman Begins.

The mansion was used for both exterior shots and interior scenes to portray the sprawling, gothic opulence of the Wayne estate.

In the film's climax, the mansion is completely destroyed by a fire started by Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows.

Because the story required Wayne Manor to be rebuilt, the production team switched to a different location – Wollaton Hall in Nottingham – to serve as the rebuilt manor in the 2012 sequel, The Dark Knight Rises.