Pauline Boyd, 55, was one of the residents who had their home bought back by the council(Image: Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)

Woman slams 'special treatment' given to neighbour after she was forced to leave condemned flat

Nick Wisneiwski, 68, who used to work in a bank, was offered £40,000 to leave his block in Gowkthrapple, Wishaw, as the council plans to build another 300 homes in its place

by · The Mirror

A woman has slammed the "special treatment" being offered to a neighbour after she was forced to leave her condemned flat.

Retired bank worker Nick Wisneiwski, 68, is the last resident of a 428-unit council block in Gowkthrapple, Wishaw, that's due to be demolished with 300 new homes to be built in their place. He is now embroiled in legal action after he refused to take North Lanarkshire's offer of compensation.

Nick - who has lived alone in the derelict four-storey building for the past three years - turned down the council's £40,000 offer, saying that he would not be able to buy another flat for the same price. After turning down the offer, councillors have agreed a compulsory purchase order for his property - the only one standing in the way of the development. Pamela Humphries, head of planning and regeneration at North Lanarkshire council, said he would receive "appropriate compensation".

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Nick Wisniewski, 68, is the last resident of Stanhope Place, Gowkthrapple( Image: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

But some other former residents have been left enraged by Nick's case. Pauline Boyd, 55, said she had to sell her flat back to the council under right to buy legislation. She was offered the market value of her flat, £26,000, and a council home because she couldn't afford to buy a property.

Pauline, 55, said: “I have every sympathy with Nick but the council is treating him as a special case and that’s not fair. I moved out during the Covid lockdown in 2020. The council steamrollered it through - they couldn’t get me out quickly enough.

428 homes are being knocked down to make room for 300 more properties( Image: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

“To be honest, I felt bullied by them. I was struggling to get a removal firm during lockdown and at one point went to the charity Shelter for help. That was my home for 25 years and I was devastated to leave. I was unemployed and an extra few thousand pounds from the council would have helped.

“Nick has been offered a lot more than I was for a two-bedroom flat just like mine. When I moved the council gave the impression it was clearing the estate fast so it could start the demolition. That was four years ago and demolition still hasn’t begun. How much has that delay cost the council?”

North Lanarkshire Council has now issued a compulsory purchase order for Nick's flat( Image: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

North Lanarkshire Council defended its handling of the situation. A spokesman for the local authority said: “The agreements with owners were reached in accordance with our policies and based on the market value of each property. The aim is to ensure each person receives a fair deal that enables them to resettle in suitable alternative accommodation.”