Retiree living on Britain's 'loneliest street' is refusing to move

A retiree living on “Britain’s loneliest street” is refusing to budge from his condemned flat, stopping the local council from bringing in the wrecking ball.

Nick Wisnewski, 68, has lived on the ground floor in the now derelict and otherwise empty apartment complex in Wishaw, Scotland, for 23 years. The past three of those have been in defiance of his local council.

The other 200 families moved out in December 2022, as the local council enacted plans to replace the cluster of high-rise flats, named Stanhope Place, with a new housing estate.

North Lanarkshire Council intends to flatten the village and construct 300 homes in its stead, but one thing stands in its way – Wisnewski, who will not leave.

He has knocked back offers from the council to buy his flat, which he purchased decades ago through a scheme that enabled social housing tenants to acquire their home at an affordable rate.

The council has proposed payments of £35,000 (about $AU69,000) and £40,000 (about $AU78,000) but Wisnewski says that is not enough to relinquish his home.

The retired bank worker is adamant it won’t go far enough to purchase another property.

The standoff between man and council is long running. The council has voted unanimously to approve the compulsary purchase of the property, but have continued to negotiate, in a bid to convince Wisnewski to leave voluntarily.

But the battle is about to escalate, making it all the way to the ranks of Scottish government, who have been called on to adjudicate on what to do next.

Wisnewski is the subject of a documentary, Exile on Stanhope Place, directed by Ryan Pollock, which was released in 2023.

He has appeared on most major TV networks in Britain, who have followed his David and Goliath fight.

Two years ago, Wisnewski did an interview with The Independent , explaining his position. The newspaper has dubbed Stanhope Place, which has no signs of life other than Wisnewski going about his daily business, “Britain’s loneliest street”.

Wisnewski said the council alerted him with phone calls and emails that he would need to move out so they could start demolition.

“There used to be about 200 families staying in this street,” he told The Independent in a video chat in August 2022. “Now I am the last one. It is certainly a ghost town.”

He said the council told him: “You are going to be the only person left there”. The exchange went on for many months, as Wisnewski’s neighbours gradually shifted out.

“It is a shame in a sense, quite honestly,” he said. “They say it is progress, I don’t know that it is.”

The Mirror is reporting that the Scottish government is now involved and will make a ruling on Wisnewski’s fate.

Wisnewski told The Mirror in October that he was “sticking it out”, but the council told the paper they would continue to try to work with him on a solution.

Wisnewski said many of the flats have been broken into and vandalised.