The last resident of a vacant housing estate slated for demolition is a retired bank worker, 66, but he refuses to go despite the council paying him £35,000 and two years’ rent.
Stanhope Place’s eight apartment buildings and other residences are all slated for demolition, but despite the council’s attempts to buy Nick out, he refuses to leave. North Lanarkshire Council authorities allegedly offered Mr. Wisniewski £35,000 plus two years’ rent somewhere if he moved because they wanted to destroy Stanhope Place and regenerate the area.
However, the retired TSB bank employee who lives there with his 35-year-old son refuses to leave because he says the offer wouldn’t be enough to buy elsewhere and that he is also too old to get a mortgage. He also claims that he is too old to get a mortgage.
“The last person departed in December, so it’s practically a ghost town now,”
“Being the lone resident here is unusual and eerily quiet. I’m used to it now, but there’s nobody to talk to, so it can feel lonely. There are eight blocks here, each with 16 apartments; when there were about 200 people living here, finding a parking place was difficult. I am the only person left now.” Nick explained.