Diggers move in as defiant resident on 'lonely' street refuses to leave estate
A resident living on the UK’s “loneliest street” is still standing firm and refusing to leave his home as demolition work is carried out around him.
Nick Wisniewski, 67, is the only person living on Stanhope Place in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, after the last remaining 200 residents moved out more than a year ago.
The local council scheduled 128 flats for demolition and Nick is involved in a stand-off as he refuses to be bought out. Earlier this year the retired bank workers said he was offered £40,000 for the flat from the council, but he claims that is not enough as he wouldn’t be able to afford anywhere else with that sum.
The area is made up of eight blocks and used to be full of life with 200 people, but it now lies abandoned and overgrown with empty properties boarded up. Despite the council's attempts to buy him out, Nick has spent nearly £2,000 repainting, carpeting his living room and panelling his hall - and said he has no plans to leave.
Nick said he has been offered £40,000 for his flat (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)Stanhope Place is to be demolished as part of a huge new housing development for the Gowkthrapple area of Wishaw, with approximately 300 new houses to be built. And the diggers have now come in as Nick refuses to budge.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council told The Mirror that there is “steady progress” with the demolition work and that Mr Wisniewski is still unwilling to discuss new housing options. But the council does have the option of using a compulsory purchase order.
The spokesperson said: “Our contractors are making steady progress with the demolition of the vacant low-rise blocks as part of our ambitious regeneration plans to transform this area of Gowkthrapple.
He is the only person left on his estate (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)“A meeting was held earlier this summer with Mr Wisniewski to provide him with full details of the works. So far, Mr Wisniewski has refused to engage in conversations about alternative housing options. Our door remains open to purchasing the property, helping him with rehousing options and to hopefully avoid the need to use Compulsory Purchase powers.”
Nick bought his flat in 2017 under the Right to Buy scheme which helped council tenants buy their homes at a discounted price. He said he would now need to have £100,000 to buy a flat in the area.
"They are talking about using a compulsory purchase order. When I have to move out then they obviously have to put me into other accommodation and I will obviously see if I can buy somewhere else. They offered me £40,000 at the last meeting a few weeks ago which is no good to me really but we’ll have to see how it goes," he told GB News earlier this year. "But £40,000 wouldn’t buy me anywhere else in the local area to purchase a two-bedroom flat. You are really talking about £100,000 now."
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