The lottery funded Braunstone Leisure Centre has won the Leicestershire Property and Construction Award for large scheme of the year.

Cllr John Mugglestone, Cabinet member for regeneration and culture at Leicester City Council, collected the award at the ceremony held at the Walkers Stadium.

Braunstone Leisure Centre was opened in December 2004 and cost £10m. It was designed by S&P Architects.

The new centre includes a community pool, a main swimming pool that can be divided into two, and seats 300 spectators. There is also a fitness suite with 60 stations for the able bodied and people with disabilities, a creche and Sure Start nursery with outdoor play area.  A badminton court sports hall and spectator seating for up to 400 people, a conference/community room, a first aid room and cafeteria are also included in the building.

Jayne Henderson, centre manager said: "We were delighted to be nominated for these awards, and ecstatic that we came away as winners. Braunstone Leisure Centre has been extremely popular with almost 300,000 visitors since it opened to the public".

Graeme Beaumont of Sport England East Midlands commented: "This project is much more than a £10 million leisure centre.  It is an integral part of a well co-ordinated regeneration strategy for one of the most disadvantaged communities in the East Midlands.

"Through Sport England the National Lottery contributed £2 million to the project and this funding has enabled Leicester City Council to create exceptionally high quality sports provision for all of the city's local residents.

"Throughout the design and construction process all the parties concerned have taken an innovate and imaginative approach.  This has resulted in a building that reflects the aspirations of the local community".

The Leicestershire ProCon Awards recognise excellence in local property and construction. The large scheme award is for projects over £3 million.  In addition the leisure centre was a runner-up in the regeneration scheme of the year award.