UCL has agreed to spare all three endangered trees on the Main Quad after a staff-led petition sent to the Provost collected over 600 signatures.
Andrew Watson, Head of Retrospective Cataloguing at UCL Library Services, who led the petition confirmed on Tuesday that the Main Quad’s redevelopment plans have been adjusted to accommodate the endangered ginkgo trees.
The petition gathered the signatures of over 600 staff and students and called for the incorporation of the historic trees into the redevelopment plans.
The Bicentenary Physical Legacy Works plan, which included the felling of the ginkgo trees and other controversial measures such as the eviction of the Art Museum, had already been approved by Camden Council.
The revisions to keep the ginkgo trees are now subject to final statutory approval.
In an email, Watson said the comments made by signatories “left no doubt that the trees are much loved and contribute to our sense of wellbeing as well as being a valuable part of our natural environment.”
The Cheese Grater previously reported how the ecological impact of the removal of the endangered trees was incomprehensive, with the petition stating that “UCL staff can testify [that] many more species of migratory birds, insects and grassland plants” would be impacted by the loss of the Quad’s signature trees.
The petition further objected to the lack of transparency in consultations with staff and students, as consultees were not made aware of the plans which included the felling of the trees.
The trees were planted during the last redevelopment of the Quad in the early 1980s, and have since become a beloved feature of the iconic campus landscape. The trees are also essential to the biodiversity of birds, insects and grassland plants in the Bloomsbury area.
