![Site has been set up to prepare for work on the old John Valves site. Picture by Lachlan Bence. Drone photo by Adam Spencer. Site has been set up to prepare for work on the old John Valves site. Picture by Lachlan Bence. Drone photo by Adam Spencer.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3A7iN83cZd5H3JXq9xN6NkC/a35a96ff-23b0-49ce-9dad-edff38a1916c.png/r59_0_2050_1084_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
There are finally signs of movement on a prominent empty site in the middle of Ballarat's sporting and events precinct.
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The old John Valves site on the corner of Creswick Road and Norman Street has been empty for more than a decade.
Now a construction site has been set up in preparation for works, but no digging has begun.
In 2011 a planning permit was issued by the City of Ballarat to subdivide the land for other industrial uses.
The land is owned by a consortium of 10 business people who wish to remain private.
They paid $2.5 million for the site in 2010.
A spokesperson for the group told The Courier at the time there would be various lot sizes but hoped to have up to 45 sites, pending council approval.
![The old John Valves site highlighted in yellow. Picture Google Earth The old John Valves site highlighted in yellow. Picture Google Earth](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/173106531/481e288c-1fd0-4213-ae96-49137258fc9c.png/r140_0_1401_709_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Since the council planning application in 2011, minor changes have been made to the application.
The land was brought into scrutiny again when the Commonwealth Games athletic events were announced for Ballarat.
The site sits in the middle of Mars Stadium, where the athletics were supposed to be, and Selkirk Stadium, where boxing was to be held.
Council highlighted they were looking into land purchases around the major events precinct.
But as planning for the games moved into 2023, focus moved from John Valves to the Ballarat Showgrounds, where an additional athletics track would be built.
The site is often used without permission for parking when there is football at Mars Stadium.
Earlier in May, Selkirk put a planning permit forward for another industrial subdivision on Howitt Street.
A timeline of the history of John Valves in Ballarat
1896 - John Valves is first founded
2002 - The company bought by "Richard Ince, who also operates the nearby Norvil Foundry."
2015 - Council releases major events precinct plan