A Darlington nightclub is set for a £1m overhaul - despite ongoing talks that could see it razed to make way for a shopping centre extension.

The Plastered Parrot in Commercial Street, is undergoing major refurbishment in a bid to attract older people with a new and sophisticated image.

The main area of the club will close on Monday August 19 for alterations, which will allow it to open during the day as a restaurant as well as at night.

The club will reopen in October with an over-21s only door policy and a new name - The Lounge.

General manager Leanne Mann said: "We're not going to be classed as a nightclub, but as a late-opening bar.

"The downstairs is going to have a complete refit with the bar being repositioned and windows put in, making it more suited to a daytime and early evening service.

"It's going to look very impressive so we don't want the young ones wrecking the place."

Absolute Leisure, which owns the club, is hoping the new investment will put paid to rumours that the venue will close if the neighbouring Queen Street shopping centre is extended.

However last night, Darlington Borough Council said the future of the club could still be in question.

The authority is in discussions with landowner St Martin's regarding the extension of the shopping centre into Commercial Street, creating a large pedestrian area.

If this happened The Plastered Parrot, which is on council-owned land, would be in the middle of the potential building site.

At present Absolute Leisure pay ground rent to the council for the land on which the club is built.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said: "Discussions regarding the area behind the Queen Street shopping centre and how it will be developed are ongoing.

"No decisions have been made either way and to speculate at this stage would be wrong."

But Tony Knox, managing director of Absolute Leisure, said: "We haven't been informed of any proposed development.

"It's our building and we'll do what we want with it. As far as we're concerned, it's business as usual."