Sir Nigel Thompson, the former Government task force chairman in Kosovo and Serbia is to be the new chairman of the Council For The Protection Of Rural England.

Father-of-three Sir Nigel, who lives at Stitchcombe ,near Marlborough, has been named as successor to the outgoing national chairman Sir David Ford.

Sir Nigel will take office on June 18, his 64th birthday.

News of his appointment was revealed yesterday at the annual meeting of the Wiltshire Branch CPRE held in the Kennet Valley Hall in Lockeridge.

It is the latest honour for Sir Nigel who was knighted in the New Year's Honours in 2002 for helping rebuild war-ravaged Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia. Six years earlier he was honoured with a CBE for his services to the construction industry.

Sir Nigel and his wife Nicky have lived in Stitchcombe for 30 years.

He has been a member of the parish council for nearly seven years and is currently vice chairman.

He is currently embroiled in the controversy surrounding the May Day bank holiday weekend rave in Savernake Forest which was clearly heard in his home village and led to some visitors deciding to cut short their visits.

Sir Nigel has demanded an explanation from Chief Constable Elizabeth Neville on why police did nothing to halt the illegal or seize the amplifiers from the organisers.

He is a chartered engineer and was formerly a director of the international civil engineering company Ove Arup and Partners. He is still with the company as a non-executive deputy chairman.

Sir Nigel is a member of the executive committee of the Kennet CPRE group and is the transport adviser to the Wiltshire county branch executive committee.

He said he was thrilled to be nominated as national chairman of the CPRE simultaneously with the pressure group changing its name.

From the AGM on June 18 the Council For The Protection of Rural England will become the Campaign For The Protection of Rural England.

Sir Nigel said he wanted to follow on from the good work of the outgoing chairman while bringing the administration of the CPRE closer to its rural members.

He said: "I will be trying to ensure the relationship between the branches and groups and the national office becomes closer.

"I hope to bring the national office closer to the grass roots members."

News of his impending selection as national chairman was welcomed by the Wiltshire and Kennet CPRE groups.

County CPRE chairman George McDonic said: "I am delighted to know that Sir Nigel has been nominated as chairman of the CPRE.

"His long and varied experience will be invaluable to the organisation at this time when the Government is bringing forward substantial changes in town and country planning."

Kennet CPRE group chairman Dr John Kirkman said: "Nigel will be an ideal chairman. Not only does he have extensive high-level contacts in business and government but he understands the grass-roots work of the CPRE."