He was awarded the accolade at the annual Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Awards this week.

O’Connell was recognised for his management of the £44m project which opened in April and is the first ultra-low carbon leisure centre in the UK.

He said: “It’s a privilege to have been shortlisted for the award, let alone winning it, and it’s all very unexpected. To have your professionalism recognised by other professionals from within your industry means a great deal and an award from CIOB is something to be really proud of.”

Caroline Gumble, CEO at CIOB, said: “The range of talent on display at this year’s awards has been truly inspirational and it’s wonderful to see so many examples of leadership and a focus on delivering a high-quality built environment.

“Our congratulations go to all our winners who are making a difference to others within the built environment sector and the communities they build for.”

The other winners on the night were:

• Rising Star – Sophie Leake
• EDI individual – Rebecca Lovelace
• EDI company – St Modwen
• Client Award – Sheffield Hallam Uni
• Sustainability – Caron Johnson
• Team Award – Kier
• CMYA Healthcare Gold – Daryl Parker
• CMYA Healthcare Silver – Matt Davies
• CMYA Higher Education Gold – Christopher Purchase
• CMYA Higher Education Silver – Matthew Friedmann
• CMYA Junior/Primary School Gold – Amy Griffiths
• CMYA Junior/Primary School Silver – Adrian Mills
• CMYA Office Gold – Connor O’Keeffe
• CMYA Office Silver – John McCarthy
• CMYA Public and Leisure Gold – Joe O’Connell
• CMYA Public and Leisure Silver – Colin Tilley
• CMYA Refurb and Restoration Gold – Bill Taylor
• CMYA Refurb and Restoration Silver – Francisco Javier Fernandez Nuevo
• CMYA Residential and Accommodation Gold – Stephen Pedro
• CMYA Residential and Accommodation Silver – Kevin Larkin
• CMYA Secondary Schools Gold – Ed Dwight
• CMYA Secondary Schools Silver – Mark Turner