Chris Pateman has left his post as Chairman of the HTA due to family reasons.

Chris said: “I find a number of family issues are now requiring my attention and the long commute had made it harder than anticipated.

"As a result, I no longer feel able to contribute to the HTA as I would have wished.

"In my short tenure with the HTA, it has been both a privilege and a pleasure to have witnessed the enthusiasm of the HTA teams.”

 Adam Taylor, President of the HTA, said: “We are sorry to see Chris go but we understand his situation and wish him all the best for the future.

"Naturally, we identified the distance between Horticulture House and Chris’ home in Kent and had discussed it but it has had a greater impact on Chris than was first thought.

"The Board will be discussing the vacancy in the near future.”