A WORCESTER-based planner is to be the temporary voice of rural England in its battle to get better broadband and other services.

Richard Quallington, who lives in the Barbourne area of the city, has been appointed interim chief executive of rural network ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) as the organisation undergoes restructuring, a process that could take several months.

He succeeds Janice Banks at the helm of the charity, which is the national voice for the ACRE Network of 38 rural community councils. Mr Quallington joins ACRE from Community First in Herefordshire & Worcestershire, a member of the ACRE Network, where he was chief executive.

He is a former vice chair of ACRE and past chair of Regional Action West Midlands (RAWM). A planner by training, he has many years’ experience of working with and lobbying on behalf of rural communities about affordable housing, transport, services, broadband and regeneration initiatives.

Mr Quallington said: "I am delighted to be joining ACRE, which has a long history of speaking up for rural communities on the national stage and of supporting its Network in making a real difference at the grassroots. I am very keen to work with our members to move the Network forward to find new ways in which we can help rural communities to meet the challenges they face.”

ACRE chair David Emerson added: “We are pleased to welcome Richard on board as interim chief executive while we restructure the organisation to enable us to continue to provide effective support to our members. His experience will allow ACRE to carry on its work in supporting communities and enabling the voice of rural England to be heard at the highest level in Government."

ACRE has secured £2.3m of Defra funding for its Network for 2015/16.