Sport England has begun the search for a new chair, as Lord Carter’s four-year term comes to an end this autumn.

Once appointed, the chair designate will then have to assist in the recruitment of a new chief executive, following the departure of Roger Draper to become chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in April.

Lord Carter said: "It has been a challenging term as chair and we have been through many changes as an organisation.

“We are now firmly positioned to develop community sport through our strong regional structure.

“Sport England's job is a crucial part of getting the nation more active and I am confident we are in a powerful position to deliver."

Culture, media and sport minister Tessa Jowell thanked Carter for his work with Sport England, and added: “Lord Carter has driven forward organisational reform, making it better able to deliver sporting opportunities at grassroots and community level as we strive to build an active and successful sporting nation.

"I am also grateful for his excellent work in support of London's bid for the 2012 Olympics. In particular developing thinking regarding the legacy of the Games, which proved to be a critical element of the bid's success.”

Meanwhile, Draper has already started to make his mark on the LTA, sacking performance director David Felgate – who had been in post for three years, and formerly coached Tim Henman – as well as tennis operations director Rebecca Miskin and finance director Paul Keen.