The former Tip Top bakery buildings on Peisley Street, with baking business dating back to 1958, are to be cleared.

A development application for the demolition is on public exhibition at Orange City Council.

The DA states the Sydney-based owner, George Weston Foods, planned to create vacant lots to be sold off for commercial or industrial use.

The proposed work will include below-ground investigations to determine if old fuel storage tanks were on the site which would also be removed.

The 7200 square metre site contains several buildings but no trees.

The DA states any hazardous materials including asbestos and lead-based paint will need to be removed before the rest of the site can be cleared.

It said George Weston Foods took over the site in 1987.

"The site has been owned by bakery and/or flour milling companies from 1958," it said.

"The southernmost part of the site was owned by a builder between 1968 and 1982.

A review of online sources indicates the owner was the proprietor of a hardware store, and as such, the lot may have been used as a builder's yard or as a hardware store.

"The northernmost part of the site was leased to TNT NSW between 1971 and 1984 and may have been used as a courier or truck depot."

The bakery closed its Orange production operations in September 2008 with 42 staff being made redundant.

A report in the Central Western Daily said only three staff were offered other positions within the company. However a company spokeswoman said 27 of the staff found new employment while others had retired.

The site was used by truck drivers and merchandisers for about 16 months before also closing.

The DA is on display until Friday, December 18.