> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Leaking ceilings, flooded floors: the latest crisis at Pipers Court - URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/leaking-ceilings-flooded-floors-the-latest-crisis-at-pipers-court/ - Published: 2026-09-09T15:07:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-09T19:24:48.000Z - Description: Just two months after bin chutes overflowed in the sweltering summer heat, the halls of Pipers Court are now flooding, as heavy rain exposed fresh problems at the Ipswich block, with standing water reaching residents' front doors. - Author: Nicola Sebastian - Tags: News, Pipers Court, Oak Housing, Housing & Urban Development **Why it matters:** Residents at the 103-home block on Old Foundry Road pay £37.46 a week – £1,946.42 a year – towards cleaning, staffing and maintenance, yet conditions have seemingly continued to deteriorate rather than improve. One resident has said many people at the block rely on Universal Credit, meaning it is often the state, rather than the resident, that ultimately picks up the bill when things go wrong. The flooding raises fresh questions about what residents – and, by extension, the taxpayer – are actually paying for. **The details:** On Tuesday, 8 September, water ran down the first- and second-floor staircase and gathered at the ground-floor entrance. A resident in the block told us the flooding affected every floor, not just the entrance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/09/IMG_2177-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/09/IMG_2175-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/09/IMG_2163-3.jpeg) Flooding at Pipers Court on Tuesday, 8 September, with water running from the first and second floor down into the ground floor entrance (Photo: Nicola Sebastian/Ipswich.co.uk) At least eight wet floor signs had been placed across both levels: upstairs, where the water was coming from, and downstairs, where it was collecting. The flooding was still ongoing at the time of our visit. **The bigger picture:** This is the third time this year Ipswich.co.uk has reported on conditions at Pipers Court. In April, an investigation into the block's service charges found black mould on windows, what appeared to be congealed blood on a light switch in the laundry room, and a general state of disrepair throughout the communal areas, despite residents collectively paying £200,481.42 a year towards cleaning, staffing and maintenance. A follow-up in June found bin chutes stacked with rubbish and flies throughout the building, no evidence of window cleaning, and residents describing a pattern of unfulfilled maintenance promises stretching back to when Oak Housing took over the block in 2018\. One resident told us at the time: "Soon there will be rats running the building and maggots up the walls." [Black mould, blood stains and £200,000: Inside the Ipswich block questioning its service chargesWhen a resident raised concerns about service charges at Pipers Court, a 103-home apartment block on Old Foundry Road, we went to take a look. From the outside, it is not without a certain charm, but what lies beyond the entrance tells a very different story.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/icon/ipswich-icon-0aaa07f1-8b6c-4dea-b858-a3e54a844250.png)Ipswich.co.ukOliver Rouane-Williams![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0787-0bb3b5e6-702a-4e19-80c8-94a6b185f894.jpeg)](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/black-mould-blood-stains-and-200-000-inside-the-ipswich-block-questioning-its-service-charges/) [‘Soon there will be rats running the building’: Pipers Court two months onWhen Ipswich.co.uk first visited Pipers Court in April, we found black mould, broken tiles, blood-stained lights and “cleaning in progress” signs lining the dirtiest corridors. Two months later, with fly-infested bin liners stacking up inside, frustrated residents tell us little has improved.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/icon/ipswich-icon-d42bd2f2-5121-45a7-977a-8df77faf2da3.png)Ipswich.co.ukOliver Rouane-Williams![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/thumbnail/Hero-Image--36--f63e638f-4e94-4f04-9822-dc20382d773c.png)](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/soon-there-will-be-rats-running-the-building-pipers-court-two-months-on/) **What they're saying:** Responding to our June investigation, Oak Housing's Senior Housing Officer, Rebecca Greenhalgh, said the company "takes all concerns raised by customers seriously" and was "actively reviewing estate management, cleaning, waste management and communal repair issues at the scheme." She added that Oak Housing "does not accept any suggestion that customer concerns are ignored." Oak Housing was approached for comment on the flooding but had not responded by the time of publication. **The bottom line:** In summer, the bins at Pipers Court overflowed because the building couldn't get rubbish out fast enough. Now, in the same block, water is pouring in faster than it can be dealt with. The season has changed, but residents at Pipers Court are still left to deal with the fallout. --- **Don't forget:** If you enjoy our content, please [add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) so you can easily find more of the content you value. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) --- ### This article cost us \~£34 to produce It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.