LTA approve reform plans

The LTA have agreed to appoint an independent chairman as one of a number of modernisations of the organisation agreed on Friday.

The LTA Council have also backed plans to abolish the post of LTA Honorary Treasurer - but all proposals have to be approved at an extraordinary general meeting in June.

The LTA have been under pressure to modernise after Sport England announced earlier this year it would cut its tennis funding by £530,000 after figures showed the number of adults playing the sport regularly has fallen by almost 25% since 2008.

The LTA Council also backed plans to streamline the number of committees and panels. LTA president Peter Bretherton said: "The LTA Council has already done a huge amount to support the modernisation of governance at the LTA, including last year's move to incorporation.

"We are fortunate already to have two independent non-executive members of the LTA board, in Val Gooding and Richard Baker, and these plans will help us to keep the LTA in forefront of governance reform in sport, in line with the recommendations of Sport England and the Government."