Goldsmiths University may remove statues of Sir Francis Drake and Lord Nelson from one of its buildings.
Deptford Town Hall, which the university acquired in 1998, features four statues including 17th-century admiral Robert Blake and another anonymous naval figure.
Student group, Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action, have demanded the statues be removed.
They occupied the town hall over the issue for 137 days in 2019.
Sir Francis Drake, best known for circumnavigating the globe, was an early slave trader thought to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of Africans.
Lord Nelson, one of Britain’s most famous seafaring heroes, was known to be vehemently opposed to the abolition of the slave trade.
Goldsmiths have launched a public consultation asking local residents if they would like the statues removed from the building.
Respondents will be asked if they would like the statues retained, removed, or for historical context to be added.
The university have also asked for the statues to be included in the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, which is currently overseen by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, 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.”
Goldsmiths’ consultation was sent to around 8,500 homes in the New Cross area and is open from Sept 1 to Oct 17.
