The owners of the North Star hotel on Lydiard Street North submitted a change to their existing plans last month.

If it gets the green light, it would allow for the construction of a wooden deck, as well as permit an extension of the liquor licence boundary so alcohol could be served outdoors.

Work is already underway for a major $11 million redevelopment of the site.

Fences went up around the property at the junction of Lydiard Street North and Seymour Street in May this year.

The original plans showed a "Melbourne-inspired" makeover, with a dining area on the ground floor and indoor feature trees, designed to fit directly below a glass pyramid-shaped atrium.

In the earlier planning submission, one consultant said the new hotel would help Soldiers Hill become the "new Fitzroy of Ballarat".

Built in the late 1850s, the building is one of Ballarat's oldest surviving hotels. It has also been known as The North Grenville Hotel and the Soldiers Hotel. It is listed in the Victorian heritage database.

The hotel was formerly known as Seymour's until its sudden closure in July last year.

The venue is a short distance from the railway station. It also boasts a celebrity connection: the parents of the actor Bill Hunter, who appeared in Gallipoli, Strictly Ballroom and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were publicans at the North Star.

According to the latest planning application, the amendment is to allow for the "addition of a proposed outdoor area to the corner of Lydiard Street and an alteration of the proposed liquor licence boundary line."

The North Star is owned by Brett Quinlan, who is the co-owner of The Lake View Hotel on Wendouree Parade.

The Courier has approached Mr Quinlan for comment. The planning amendment is currently open to public feedback.

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