Residents at One Hyde Park have secured a court victory over widespread pipework failures that caused leaks throughout the building and left repair costs estimated at £35 million.

The defects were traced to the chilled water system, including faulty soldered joints and butterfly valves. Experts told the court that fixing the problems will be technically complex and could take years, meaning further disruption for residents.

Corrosion was first identified in 2014, just three years after the development was completed. After years of failed negotiations, residents launched legal action against a subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke, the main contractor, alleging installation defects.

The contractor denied the pipework was defective and did not attend the hearing.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the Laing O’Rourke subsidiary had spent nearly a decade seeking an out-of-court settlement, including offers of compensation and proposals to carry out repairs at no cost.

One Hyde Park comprises 84 apartments and was developed by Nick and Christian Candy with overseas partners.

However, any compensation may be difficult to recover. The Laing O’Rourke subsidiary named in the case was placed into liquidation in February last year.