A GOLF club in Stanford-le-Hope could be transformed in a major new development with apartments for the over-55s, which offers 24-hour support using artificial intelligence.

Plans for the redevelopment of the Langdon Hills Golf and Country Club, on Lower Dunton Road, have been submitted to Thurrock Council and outline the major transformation centred around care for the retirement community, and a major new health spa and golfing academy.

The new “care village” will provide a range of services including a 64-bed care home with dementia facilities, 84 supported living bungalows and 42 independent living apartments.

Planning documents note: “Technology will be a core component of all homes on site and will benefit from specialist artificial intelligence that underpins ‘homes for life’.

“This technology provides reassurance to all residents, so that behind the tranquil setting provided by the village there is an invisible reassurance of assistive care and support technology 24 hours a day and 364 days a year.

“All apartments will be fitted to incorporate the system that can if so desired, provide real time care 24 hours a day with monitoring and visual communications.

“This will provide the capability to make video calls; daily routine reminders – for example, linked to medications –and help with other routine tasks.

“The system can monitor diagnosed health issues and stay in direct contact with health professionals, monitor potential deterioration in wellbeing through intelligent activity analysis and ensure confidence at home by providing 24-hour emergency call and fall alerts.”

The club currently provides a 27-hole golf course and offers facilities for functions such as weddings. Rishco Leisure, which owns the site, said golf clubs have experienced falling membership numbers as a result of growing time pressures and competing sports facilities.

To address the decline, Rishco wants to demolish the existing course and rebuild it into a “state-of-the-art golf facility” offering a golfing academy for new learners, leisure facilities such as a health spa, swimming pool and gym, and a restaurant.