The Jute Journal spoke to the two Liberal Democrat councillors from the West End ward on Dundee City Council, Fraser Macpherson and Michael Crichton. We spoke about potential cuts that are proposed at the University of Dundee, which include the Botanic Garden.
The Botanic Garden was raised, along with the potential to bring it under a “community-led” plan if the University were to withdraw operations, as they have suggested. Mr Macpherson said the Botanic Garden was the thing people are most concerned about being proposed to be cut.
“The biggest post bag, to be honest, has been the Botanic Garden, because you’ll find that there are people who have absolutely no connection to the University of Dundee, but nonetheless visit the Botanic Garden and would be horrified to see it closed.”
Mr Macpherson said he had emailed the Interim Principal, Professor Nigel Seaton, with questions about the Garden, and that Professor Seaton had confirmed the University’s position to him.
“The university’s position is that they will walk away in July 2027.” He said the Interim Principal had confirmed the University, “even if it is not financially contributing after July 2027, would not stand in the way” of another group taking it forward.
However, Mr Macpherson made it very clear this shouldn’t be a sudden change, but rather that the University must work with other groups to transfer the operation.
“I don’t want to see a cliff edge. If there are going to be alternative delivery models, that will take time.”
The future does not look as bleak as it did, as he continued:
“The one thing the West End has is really good community-led friends groups.” He named the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden, chaired by Dr Mark McGilchrist, and Dundee Civic Trust as “really good groups who really want to contribute to what might be a community-led future.”
Michael Crichton raised the new Eden Project planned in Dundee, citing that we must look after our current institutions to prove we are worth future investment.
“What do we want Dundee to be? And if we are encouraging the Eden Project to come to Dundee, losing the Botanic Gardens doesn’t strike the right note for where we’re going as a city. We need to be holding these assets as much as we can.”
Mr Crichton continued, noting the risks of the University handing the Garden off to others.
“I don’t want a university to wash its hands, to leave it to rack and ruin. We need to find a positive destination for it.” He said he wanted the University to hold “proactive discussions” rather than simply saying it was “open to it.”
Fraser Macpherson confirmed he had emailed the Interim Principal, Nigel Seaton, with questions about the Garden, and confirmed that both councillors have a meeting with him at the end of the month.
“There will be discussions during July, but I’m hopeful that we will get a positive route forward, but we will need input and the cooperation of the University of Dundee.”
Mr Crichton ended by saying:
“If we meet here in January, we’re not discussing it’s going to close down, we’re discussing when it is going to be operational, and that’s our focus.”
He put the future in a good light, in hope that it will stay open for the public.