Two further planning applications have been submitted in connection with proposals for more than 300 new homes on Surrey Green Belt land.

Martin Grant Homes has filed two applications with Woking Borough Council to build 309 homes on Saunders Lane in Mayford.

The first seeks to build 162 homes to the north west of Saunders Lane, the second is aiming for 147 homes to the north east.

Half the housing will be affordable and split across the two sites, according to planning documents.

The latest applications seek a “screening opinion” on the plans.

A screening opinion is a formal request to Woking Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to determine whether a proposed development is likely to have significant environmental effects and therefore needs to be accompanied by an Environmental Statement under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations.

The LPA assesses the proposal against specific criteria set out in the regulations (known as schedules) to decide if an EIA is required.

It is a way of “screening” a project before a full planning application to see if environmental assessment is necessary.

If the LPA concludes that an EIA is required, the next step is usually an application for a Scoping Opinion, which identifies what information and topics should be included in the Environmental Statement.

At this stage the developer has yet to decide on the exact mix of housing but anticipates it will be a mixture of between one to four-bed properties with “a focus on family housing and a mix of apartments, terraces, semi-detached and detached properties, together with amenity space and car parking.”

In other property news, Sheerwater Post Office has opened at a new location, 7 Dartmouth Avenue, with the same postmaster.

The area in which the former branch was located at Parmer Supermarket, 19-21 Dartmouth Avenue, Sheerwater, is being redeveloped.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We therefore had to identify an alternative location to continue to offer Post Office services to the local community. The existing postmaster found new premises.

“There is a Post Office serving point alongside the retail counter of the convenience store. The same products and services are available and with the same opening hours.

“The new branch is located approximately 160 metres away from the previous branch. There is roadside parking available nearby.”

Post Office area change manager, Graham Brander, added: “We are delighted to have a new location for Sheerwater Post Office to maintain service to the community.”