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Tycoon owner tells of his vision for a Solent icon's future
SPITBANK Fort could be transformed into a conference centre and luxury getaway for rich corporations.
That is the vision of its new owner, bedding tycoon Mike Clare.
The founder of bed retailer Dreams is reputed to be worth more than 200m, and bought the fortress last November for 1m.
Now, speaking to The News for the first time, he said his 1.5m refurbishment will be worth more than the fort itself.
Work is scheduled to be complete by summer next year.
The 55-year-old magnate said: 'We're converting it into a luxury retreat with eight or nine en suite bedrooms of quite a substantial size, and a function room.
'We've even had ACAS (the body which brings warring sides together in industrial disputes) say they want to have conferences there so people can't get off.
'Plus, if there is a company takeover or whatever, then people don't want others to know what's going on.
'At the end of the day we're going to make it right.
'No-one's been spending any money on it really. No-one's spent the 1.5m on it that we are.
'Everything's been done on a shoestring for the last 25 years.
'The past owners did the best they could.
'But we're doing a much better refurbishment from scratch.'
The previous owners, a trio of investors led by Neale Brickwood, had been trying to turn it into a casino, clubbing venue, and hotel at the time it was sold to Mr Clare's company, Clarenco.
But those plans are dead in the water, said Clarenco, because it is targeting much wealthier clients.
The function room will double as a conference hall, and the developer is hoping the venue will be hired by businesses for conferences or corporate balls.
The suites will be hired out individually to go to events like gourmet banquets organised by Amazing Retreats, the wing of Clarenco dealing with the fort.
Or the whole venue could be hired out at once, for anywhere between 25,000 to 50,000 per week, depending on the time of year.
No refurbishment has started yet because the company has been finalising its plans.
But work is expected to begin in September, starting with fixing the fort's leaky roof.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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