Batley Frontier Club owners have got the green light to turn it into a £1.2m gym.
But bosses of the iconic nightclub are remaining tight-lipped about their plans and have continued to deny that its closure is imminent.
When the plan first emerged earlier this year they said they were exploring their options.
But at a Kirklees Council planning committee, councillors were told by owner Joe Battye that the 1,500 capacity venue did “not have a sustainable future as a nightclub”.
After hearing it could close, councillors granted permission for the change of use of the Bradford Road premises to a gym.
Speaking after the thumbs up from councillors, Mr Battye maintained that nothing had been confirmed.
He said the club would continute to operate for the forseeable future and closure of the historic venue was not due in the coming weeks.
At the Kirklees meeting, Mr Battye urged councillors to approve the gym idea and revealed a prospective tenant had been lined up.
He said: “I cannot think of a better, more sustainable use than a gym.
“This will not only bring investment and employment to the area but will provide a positive and healthy impact on the community.
“The proposed tenant will require a far greater number of employees, a larger proportion of which will be full time, compared to the nightclub which currently only supports two full time staff.”
Mr Battye said the tenant would be investing in excess of £1.25m in revamping the site.
See a film about the history of Batley Variety Club below
And he revealed another venue on Bradford Road owned by his family – thought to be Bar Deco – could be re-opened.
He added: “This would provide employment for the majority of the part-time staff from the Frontier.”
Councillors said they would be sorry to see the iconic venue close but welcomed it being re-used.
“There’s nothing worse than going down Bradford Road and seeing derelict buildings,” said Clr Andrew Pinnock.
“The council has made significant efforts to regenerate this corridor.”
The Frontier Club, formerly Batley Variety Club, has played host to some of the biggest stars of music and theatre since it opened in 1967.
Legends to have performed there include; Morecambe and Wise, Shirley Bassey, Roy Orbison, The Four Tops, Tom Jones. Louis Armstrong and Ken Dodd.
