A dad who lives on Britain’s ‘loneliest street’ refuses to move – despite council attempts to pay him to leave.
Nick Wisniewski, 66, has no neighbors living near him in Stanhope Place, Wishaw, Scotland.
North Lanarkshire Council told him they wanted to redevelop the area – offering Nick £35,000 to flatten his block.
The area is overgrown and abandoned, with many empty properties boarded up.
But Nick, who lives with his 35-year-old son, refuses to budge – insisting the council’s offer would be nowhere near enough to help him buy elsewhere.
The landlord told the Daily Record: “I’m in the only occupied house on the whole street and it’s been like this since the end of December.
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“The height of the grass is ridiculous – on the other side of Gowkthrapple the blocks are all empty but they’re still cutting it down there.
“There is no security and people could enter empty apartments.
“There are a lot of windows that have been smashed. Ultimately [the council] started boarding the two lower levels. Luckily, I haven’t had any issues yet.
Nick bought his flat over six years ago under the ‘Right to Buy’ scheme, before it ended up in Scotland.
The initiative aimed to help council tenants buy their homes at a reduced price.
And Nick, who retired last year after working for more than 20 years with TSB bank, is unable to buy elsewhere.
He explained: “I bought my apartment because I didn’t want to pay rent for the rest of my life.
“The council offered me £35,000 but buying another one would cost me between £80,000 and £100,000 now.”
North Lanarkshire Council offered him alternative rental accommodation, but he turned it down.
He said he was offered a place for two years rent-free, but because he’s retired and hasn’t paid a mortgage in years, he doesn’t understand why we should start paying again.
Nick said: “The board said they couldn’t offer me another penny. They talk about a mandatory purchase order but that’s a last resort.
“If they make me a decent offer, maybe we could use it and my son could get us a mortgage. I’m too old for a mortgage now.”
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A North Lanarkshire Council spokesperson said: ‘We fully understand this is a sensitive matter and are working closely with the resident.
“It would not be appropriate to discuss specific financial details, but we are working within our policies to ensure the resident receives fair treatment and to support them in finding suitable alternative accommodation.”
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