A new multi-million pound shopping complex is to be built in Darlington town centre.

The centre will replace the Queen Street Shopping Arcade, which was built in the 1960s.

Details of the venture will be announced later today, and borough council officials hope the complex, which will incorporate many High Street names, will revolutionise shopping in the town.

The Northern Echo understands that a well-known department store has already been lined up to anchor the new centre, which could be open within a couple of years.

It is believed the two-storey building will stretch from the present arcade to the Queen Street car park, which is owned by the borough Council.

The lost parking spaces will be replaced with a number of multi-storey car parks.

Speaking ahead of today's official announcement, council leader John Williams said last night: "This exciting new development is a clear sign of the council's ambition to deliver the best for Darlington and its people.

"As well as a major new extension to town centre shopping, there will also be a significant increase and improvement in town centre parking."

Shops which already trade from the Queen Street arcade, including branches of Next and Iceland, have all been made aware of the plans for the centre, although none was willing to comment on their future ahead of today's announcement.

Leading figures from St Martin's, which is the arcade's landlord, and the council will hold a Press conference this afternoon where details of the development will be unveiled.

Artists' drawings of the new area will also be released for the first time.

A council spokesman refused to be drawn on what effect the development would have on The Lounge nightclub, which occupies part of the existing car park.

Absolute Leisure, which runs the club, pays ground rent to the council for the land and last year spent £1m refurbishing the premises, despite the fact that plans for the new shopping centre were already under way.

The shopping development is the latest in a series of major projects planned as part of the town's regeneration.

A multi-million education village was announced last year which will bring together the education of children from the age of four to 16 on one site.

Earlier this year, Darlington College of Technology confirmed it would be moving from Cleveland Avenue to a £30m site in Haughton Road close to the town centre.

Further developments to this site, including a hotel, conference and leisure facilities, are planned to make Darlington the official gateway to the Tees Valley.

Elsewhere in the town, work is continuing to develop Morton Palms business park to attract more companies.