Last man living alone on UK's 'loneliest street' refuses to move out
A man living on the UK's 'loneliest street' has refused to move.
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.
128 flats have been scheduled for demolition, but Nick has refused to leave, and has blasted council chiefs who he claims to have not heard from since November 2021.
The retired bank worker said an area in the car park outside of his flat has become an eyesore, with rubbish piled up and grass badly overgrown.
He claimed no one cleans the block anymore and that the halls have been left in darkness with the lights no longer coming on on other floors.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Nick claims no one cleans the halls anymore (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)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: "I have painted the whole flat and done some wallpapering in the hall and living room.
"I put up some wood panelling in the hall, it's looking really nice.
"I had to get a new cooker too, so all in I think it costs me between £1,500 and £2,000."
Despite all the expenses, Nick said he is not worried about the money and plans to live in his flat for much longer.
Nick says he plans on still living his flat (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)He added: "I'm not worried about spending money on the flat because I think I am going to be here for a while, I have still heard nothing from the council.
"At the end of last year, they said they were doing a compulsory purchase order but they haven't even notified me about it.
"I don't know if it was all a ploy to try and scare me into contacting them - but why should I have to get in touch with them?
"If they want me to go they need to get in touch with me."
Nick said the car park has become an eyesore after people started turning up to dump their rubbish.
UK house prices fall again - down 3.2% from last year peak, says Nationwide
Nick says people have started dumping their rubbish in the car park (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)He said: "At the other side of the car park area, a huge pile of rubble has appeared and people have just started dumping their rubbish there now.
"I have no idea where it came from but it's an eyesore.
"I am on the bottom floor but up the stairs is in total darkness now, there are no lights on anymore. The grass is overgrown, it all looks terrible.
"I can't understand the council's rhyme or reason for anything they do."
Nick claims the council are doing nothing to help him (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)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 the area used to be buzzing with about 200 people, but the last residents left in December 2021.
Council officials want to flatten the area to redevelop it and offered Nick £35,000 for his flat, plus two years' rent somewhere else if he moved.
But Nick claimed North Lanarkshire Council's offer would not be enough to buy somewhere else.
The council have offered Nick money but he says it would not be enought to move (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)He said: "When I found out I was going to be the last person left on the street I really did worry there would be a problem, but thankfully there hasn't been trouble.
"I could be wrong, but I am assuming the council is holding off until they build the new bungalows and maybe they will offer me one of them.
"They initially said they would give me two years rent-free, but I would want more than that now.
"If they are offering me money for the flat it would need to be near the £100,000 mark now - prices have gone up, and everything is more expensive now."
Mirror.co.uk contacted North Lanarkshire Council for comment.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
