Goldsmiths University is considering removing “troubling” statues of Sir Francis Drake and Lord Nelson following student complaints.

       The south London university has launched a public consultation examining whether the 115-year-old monuments should be permanently removed from one of their buildings.

       A statue of the 17th century admiral Robert Blake, who served as a naval commander under Oliver Cromwell, may also be removed along with an anonymous naval figure.

       The four statues stand on the facade of the Grade II-listed Deptford Town Hall which the university acquired in 1998.

       Their removal has been demanded by the student group Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action, who occupied the town hall over the issue for 137 days in 2019.

       Academics at the university have now said it is “vital” that any decision on the future of the statues reflects “the wishes of the local community”.

       Respondents to the consultation will be asked if they would like the statues to be retained, removed or for historical context explainers to be added.

       University officials have also asked for the statues to be included in the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm currently overseen by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.

       While Sir Francis Drake’s exploits as a naval commander against the Spanish have been celebrated by the history books, his early years as a slave trader along the west coast of Africa have come under recent scrutiny.

       Earlier this month, councillors in his home town of Tavistock, Devon revealed that a new information panel highlighting his “horrific slave trading actions” will adorn a 10ft high bronze statue of the seafarer. This is despite 89 residents objecting to the council’s proposals, with only one letter of support.

       Last October, an exhibition at The Box Museum in Plymouth showcasing a silver gilt cup gifted to him by Queen Elizabeth I featured an explanatory note saying Drake’s voyages “marked the foundation of England’s slave trade”.

       Last year, The Telegraph revealed that the “heroic status” of Lord Nelson, long held to be one of England’s greatest national heroes, was under review by the National Maritime Museum because of “aspects of slavery relating to the Royal Navy”.

       Writing aboard the HMS Victory, just four months before his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the admiral is said to have penned a letter to a slave owner in the West Indies voicing his opposition to William Wilberforce. However, the legitimacy of the letter has been questioned by scholars.

       Statues survey sent to nearly 9,000 homes

       Goldsmiths’ consultation is open from September 1 to October 17, with residents urged to submit their views on the statues online or by filling in a survey sent to about 8,500 homes in the New Cross area.

       Prof Frances Corner, Warden of Goldsmiths said: “Deptford Town Hall is a local landmark so it is only right that we ask local people what they think about the statues which embody the complex legacy of the area’s maritime heritage.

       “We want those living in the area to engage openly and honestly with troubling aspects of the history these statues represent and tell us how they want these issues to be addressed.

       “These statues were carved in 1905 to reflect the wishes of the local community then and it is vital that, a little over a century later, any decision on their future reflects the wishes of our local community now.”

       As a Grade II-listed building, any significant alterations to Deptford Town Hall, which faces onto the busy New Cross Road, would require approval from Lewisham Council and, in turn, Historic England.