O'Toole & Starkey
Planning Consultants
Let's Go Hydro
Public Consultation
Proposal: Proposed development of additional sport, leisure and tourism facilities at the existing Let’s Go Hydro resort, comprising: a centre of excellence for padel tennis (with ancillary lounge and bar), new gym and wellbeing facility, replacement of existing marquee padel tennis building with purpose built steel frame padel tennis building, golf driving range and indoor golf simulator facilities, together with internal signage structure, relocation of existing glamping pods/safari lodges/house boat and associated access, parking, fencing, netting, floodlighting, landscaping and site works.
Location: Lets Go Hydro, 1 Mealough Rd, Carryduff, BT8 8GB.
Welcome
We are inviting your views on a draft of the above proposal. The feedback received will help to inform the planning application that will be submitted to the Council in due course.
Your views, ideas and knowledge are important in helping to develop the proposal. Please take your time to review the information. Should you wish to comment on the proposal, you can do so via the Contact page on this website, by email to office@otsplanning.com, in writing to O’Toole & Starkey Ltd, 1st Floor, River House, 48 - 60 High St, Belfast, BT1 2BE or by using the contact form below. Comments should be submitted by 1st March 2026 to ensure they are considered before the application is finalised and submitted to the Council.
Please note that comments made to the prospective applicant do not constitute representations to the Council. A further opportunity to make representations to the Council will be available as part of the statutory consultation process following formal submission of the planning application.
Site and Surroundings
The proposal site is located at the Let's Go Hydro Resort in Carryduff.
The extent of the site is outlined in red in the image below and a copy of the site location plan can be downloaded from the PDF link below the image:
The Let's Go Hydro resport encompasses an area of c.22ha, occupying the lands of the former Knockbracken Reservoir. It is located at 1 Mealough Road, just off the Saintfield Road in Carryduff.
The resort has been operating since 2018 and currently accommodates a wide range of activities catering for different ages and abilities. These include an inflatable aqua park, cable wakeboarding, open water swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and seasonal triathlon training, alongside on-land facilities such as a running track, fitness classes, padel tennis and outdoor events. Let's Go Hydro also hosts organised sporting activities, corporate team-building, school and youth group visits, and community-based events, reinforcing its role as a hub for active recreation and healthy lifestyles.
The resort's existing offer is predominantly outdoor, and the proposed new indoor sport/leisure/recreation facilities represent significant new investment that will complement current activities and enable year-round sport, recreation and leisure use.
The site sits close to the strategic road network, with onward connections to the wider area via the A24
Saintfield Road corridor, which is a key route linking Carryduff to Belfast and settlements further south.
In recent years, the surrounding road environment has benefited from improvement works on Mealough Road, helping to modernise local access arrangements and support existing and planned growth in the area.
These upgrades form part of the evolving local infrastructure context and provide an important backdrop to continued investment at the resort.
The area is also experiencing significant change, with a major new residential development currently under construction to the south of the resort. This new housing growth is increasing the local population and, in turn, demand for accessible sport, recreation and leisure opportunities, reinforcing the role of the resort as an established destination and an increasingly important local amenity.
Proposed Development
The proposal comprises a range of new sport, recreation, leisure and tourism facilities at the existing Let's Go Hydro resort. The description of development is as follows:
"Proposed development of additional sport, leisure and tourism facilities at the existing Let’s Go Hydro resort, comprising: a centre of excellence for padel tennis (with ancillary lounge and bar), new gym and wellbeing facility, replacement of existing marquee padel tennis building with purpose built steel frame padel tennis building, golf driving range and indoor golf simulator facilities, together with internal signage structure, relocation of existing glamping pods/safari lodges/house boat and associated access, parking, fencing, netting, floodlighting, landscaping and site works."
Core Components
Padel Tennis Centre:
The proposed padel centre at Let's Go Hydro is designed to act as the main hub for padel tennis in Northern Ireland, providing a modern, purpose-built base for training, coaching and competitive play, including hosting organised fixtures and tournament events. It will help consolidate padel activity at one central venue, supporting the growth of the sport and providing a year-round facility for players of all abilities.
Alongside the padel courts, the centre incorporates a range of supporting amenities to create a complete "club" environment, including players' lounge/social space, changing rooms, gym and showers, changing/toilet provision, and associated ancillary areas. The layout also allows for complementary leisure/fitness uses (including dedicated fitness space) to support wider sport and wellbeing activity on site.
Height - 8.2m; Floorspace 2,250sqm.
Golf Driving Range:
The proposed aquatic driving range will be a first of its kind in Ireland, providing a unique golf practice experience where players hit floating range balls across water toward floating targets - an attraction that is not currently available elsewhere on the entire island. The facility includes 24 bays, all of which will be fully equipped with state of the art trackman technology.
Height - 3.8m; Floorspace - 350sqm.
Indoor Golf Simulator Facilities:
The indoor golf simulator facilities provide a high quality, weather-independent golf experience that complements the wider resort offer and the proposed driving range facility. The simulators will operate as a modern, social golf environment, allowing users to practise and play virtual rounds year-round, with extensive glazing to create an open, welcoming frontage and strong views across the site.
Height - 5.8m; Floorspace: 420sqm.
Purpose-built steel frame padel tennis building (replacement):
The existing marquee padel tennis building will be replaced in-situ with a permanent, purpose-built structure.
Height - 8.5m; Floorspace - 605sqm.
Associated works:
Works to support the development, including relocating existing glamping pods, an internal signage structure, access, parking, fencing, netting, floodlighting, landscaping and other site works.
