University of Dundee Proposes Closure of Botanical Gardens

On Tuesday staff at the University of Dundee’s Botanic Garden were told their jobs were at risk and they would have to reapply for their jobs. The university further proposed they would close the 55-year-old gardens.

No date has been set for the closure and the proposal is not finalised, however, it looks likely with the aim of the university set out in the Strategy to Recovery.

The news came a few hours after interim principal Prof. Nigel Seaton announced that a further 190 jobs would be cut to save another £20 million in annual savings.

While the university is considering closing the Botanic Garden, they are cutting two staff members. An anonymous source from the university told The Jute Journal that all staff have been asked to reapply for their positions. They would potentially be assigned to the remaining posts of the Supervisor, the Head Gardener, and three gardeners.

The garden is home to many species of plants at threat of extinction and is a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The Strategy to Recovery (p. 39) says:

“A range of activities are considered for change in this area, prioritising those activities that are not considered part of the University core business provision or that could be delivered more efficiently through a different operating model.”

This vague sentence is the document’s only mention of the Botanic Garden. It remains a question whether the garden would be part of the university management’s plans for a (financially) sustainable institution.