Thousands of people have thrown their support behind a petition opposing plans to move a world-famous collection of plant specimens from Kew Gardens. A petition from science staff at Kew against proposals to move its herbarium to Thames Valley Science Park, south of Reading, has been signed by almost 14,000 people and claims it would remove the "beating heart" of the botanical gardens.

Kew's herbarium is among the largest collection of its kind in the world. Founded in 1852, it has around 7million dried plant specimens which are studied by staff and students, along with hundreds of researchers from around the world every year.

Kew said it is exploring moving the herbarium as it is running out of space and constraints on the historic buildings mean protections against the growing risks of fire, flood and pests can't be put in place. It said there is a "grave risk" the collection will be lost to future generations if plans are not made to move it now.

Kew's trustees decided to seek an alternative site for the herbarium in 2021 after extensive discussions, and confirmed their intention to move it to the Thames Valley Science Park in June this year. The move depends on further feasibility studies, agreeing terms on the purchase of the site and securing funding.

But a petition started by science staff at Kew on August 6 calls for the herbarium to remain at the botanical gardens. Signed by 13,978 people so far, it claims it is a "bad idea and unnecessary to isolate the herbarium at a remote new site" and that it would "damage its functioning".

The petition says the proposed move risks "serious damage to this global centre for plant taxonomy", and that it would divide the herbarium from other collections, facilities, students and scientists at Kew which are "important for its efficient operation". It adds building and commuting to a new facility would have "major environmental impacts".

It argues the move would disrupt the discovery of plant species, that visiting scientists would find it more difficult to travel to the new facility and running the new site would involve extra operational costs. It claims the existing herbarium has housed specimens "without detectable deterioration for up to over 170 years".

The petition calls for available resources to be used to renovate and improve Kew's existing herbarium instead. In a comment on the petition, Pat Chalk said moving the herbarium away from Kew would be "madness".

Carolyn Ballard, another supporter of the petition, wrote: "To renovate and improve at the current site is the greenest option. It is more convenient for the scientific research community and overseas visitors if it remains in London, and should remain where it is as a base linked to the plant collections. There does not appear to be sufficient reason to move it to a faceless science park in the Reading area thus wasting taxpayer's money."

Patricia Smith commented: "It is totally wrong and a waste [of] time and money disrupting the scientists from their essential work." Rosemary Hook also wrote: "Kew is famous for this facility and it should remain there to help educate the millions who visit each year."

Professor Alex Antonelli, Kew's director of science, said the collection will continue to be as accessible as it is today to Kew's scientists and visitors at the new site, while it is also being digitised so it will be available online and free of charge by 2026. He said there is "no reason" its collaborative research and engagement programmes will be affected by the move, while researchers would still be able to work at Kew and "be supported to visit the specimens at the new site whenever needed".

Mr Antonelli said: "The decision by RBG Kew's Trustees, after over five years of discussions, to move the herbarium collection (one of many scientific collections that are held by Kew) to a new purpose-built facility considered several factors including the level of risk they face, capacity for growth over 50 years, as well as the wider aims to address the biodiversity and climate crises. They concluded that the combined risks to these irreplaceable collections, which RBG Kew is responsible for on behalf of the UK, is unacceptable and which this facility would address.

"This is something other herbaria and collections-based institutions have already done in the UK and internationally with success. The Natural History Museum and British Museum are already committed to moving collections to the site at the Thames Valley Science Park, which Kew is now considering, and opens the possibility for deeper collaboration in future.

"Simultaneously, the decision to move will unlock the development of the existing herbarium buildings to create a new 'science quarter' to provide capacity for new laboratories, education facilities, seminar rooms and improved workspaces for our staff and students. It will bring different scientific disciplines together and create space for partner organisations to work alongside Kew's scientists. It will also enable us to open these spaces to visitors to the garden, supporting greater public engagement with our research."

He said Kew expects to move its collection of around 7m plant specimens, the spirit collection and some sections of the library, while the fungarium and economic botany collection is currently expected to stay at Kew.

A Defra spokesperson said: "We are aware of discussions regarding the future location of the herbarium, however no decision has been taken. Ministers will continue to be updated as these discussions progress."