Mayor

Councillor Avtar Sandhu MBE has been appointed as the Mayor of Dartford for the next 12 months.

Serving as Deputy Mayor for the past year, he was elected at the Annual Council meeting on 6 May 2026.

Councillor Sandhu currently represents the Wilmington, Sutton at Hone and Hawley ward, having previously served Brent and Newtown wards. He was first elected to Dartford Borough Council in 2011 and has lived in Dartford for over fifty five years, with a long-standing commitment to local issues. Councillor Sandhu previously served as Mayor of Dartford during the 2014–2015 civic year.

A local businessman, the new Mayor is deeply committed to supporting residents and championing Dartford’s thriving business community. He serves as the Council’s Lead Member for Business and is an active member of several Council committees. In addition, he represents Dartford Borough Council on a number of external bodies, including the Council for Voluntary Service North West Kent and Darent Valley Hospital, and has previously served on Kent County Council. He is also a trustee of Kent Cohesion Council and Dartford Lions Club.

Councillor Sandhu will be supported during his Mayoral year by his wife, Sukh, who will serve as Mayoress. Sukh divides her time between her role as a sales adviser at John Lewis and her work with Social Enterprise Kent, a charity based in Folkestone. Avtar and Sukh have two children and two grandchildren.

Joining Councillor Sandhu in civic leadership will be Councillor Carol Gale, who has been appointed Deputy Mayor.

Councillor Gale was elected to the Council in 2023 representing Greenhithe & Knockhall ward. She has served on the Council’s Cabinet as the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Natural Environment, and will continue to lead on these matters as a Lead Member during her term as Deputy Mayor.

She built a successful career in the national press, working for IPC magazines before joining Associated Newspapers, where she was part of the launch team for YOU magazine and coordinated both The Mail on Sunday and YOU. She later headed National Promotions and Advertorials before establishing her own marketing agency.

Councillor Gale then joined her husband, Richard, in the Middle East with their 2 children and became the first female Publishing Manager of the Gulf’s largest publishing house. During this time, she supported a number of charitable causes including the St Georges Society, helping raise significant funds for a children’s hospice, and the Royal British Legion in the Middle East by organising their annual Poppy Ball, and used her considerable copywriting and journalism background to publish the corresponding magazine. She also volunteered for the British Community Assistance Fund (BCAF), helping expatriates in distressed circumstances.

Councillor Gale retrained in law in her forties and qualified as a Family Law professional. Since returning to the UK, she has worked with Citizens Advice and the Special Domestic Violence Court, and is a qualified Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate (IDVA) and Sexual Violence Advocate. She was previously a borough councillor at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council.

Councillor Gale is also a School Governor at two local schools, with responsibilities for Special Educational Needs (SEND) and safeguarding.

Carol lives with her husband Richard, who will support as the Deputy Mayor’s Escort, and their menagerie of animals. Her daughters also work in Special Educational Needs support, and the family continues to work closely with local charities and community events.

Eric Hookins has been appointed as the Mayor's Chaplain.

The Mayor’s Charity Appeal for 2026-27 will support: Valley Hospital Charity, the official NHS charity of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust serving over 500,000 people in North Kent. The Mayor is fundraising to benefit Stroke and Breast Cancer patients, helping to raise funds to enhance patient care at Darent Valley Hospital.

Contact the Mayor

If you'd like the Mayor to attend an event, please use the Mayoral Engagement Form on this page.

Mayoral Support
Dartford Borough Council
Tel: 01322 343402
Online contact: Contact the Mayoral Support Team