The £11.3 million centre, which opened last September, won the Tourism and Leisure accolade in the 2017 RICS Awards, run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
More than 40 of the North West’s most impressive and community beneficial property schemes battled it out for top honours at a ceremony in Liverpool where the leisure centre won the Tourism and Leisure accolade.
BBC TV and radio presenter Jason Mohammed – known for hosting the BBC’s Final Score – was the host for this year’s sell-out ceremony which attracted over 300 local property professionals.
Allerdale council’s new £12m leisure centre opened in September last year and has drawn in over 50,000 new visitors in its first four months compared to its predecessor.
The centre – designed by GT Architects and delivered by Pick Everard and Robertson Contractors – offers a host of quality fitness facilities including a 25m competition pool, learner pool, four court sports hall, two squash courts and a climbing frame.
Will Rees, chairman of the judging panel for the RICS Awards and director at Rees Straw Chartered Surveyors, said: “Workington Leisure Centre is an exemplary and well thought out development that is already having a positive impact on its local community.
“The facility has seen a significant increase in users from the local area, and it is attracting visitors from further afield too.
“Overall, it is an excellent modern leisure centre, which could act as a template for other towns.
“The team behind it should be very proud as they have shown just what is achievable with vision, and an innovative and collaborative approach.”
A number of highly commended certificates were awarded to projects which impressed the judges but were just pipped to the post by the winners.
St Cuthbert’s Church in Kentmere was highly commended in the Building Conservation category following a sensitive yet comprehensive repair and re-roofing project estimated to have cost about £148,000.
Mr Rees said: “Despite the ongoing skills shortages in the construction industry, every year our region’s professionals continue to deliver world-class built projects.”
All category winners will go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final on November 2 in London, for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winner in their respective category.
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