Tributes have been paid to a long-standing councillor and former town mayor who has died.

Cllr Peter Harman, who represented residents in Swanscombe and Greenhithe, unexpectedly passed away on Thursday (August 22).

He represented the area for 11 years on Kent County Council (KCC) and was serving his third term in office.

He had also been a Dartford borough councillor since 2019, standing for Greenhithe and Knockhall, and a councillor on Stone Parish Council.

Cllr Harman was also a long-standing councillor on Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council, during which he was mayor five times.

In a statement, a spokesman for the town council said: “He had a passion for serving his community and always wanted to try and get the best for the community, often in very difficult circumstances.

“Not only was Peter a councillor he was also a devoted husband to Dr Jo Harman, father to Kate and Charlotte and grandfather to Emily and Jessica and it is to them, and the whole family, that our thoughts and condolences go out to at this saddest of times.”

Town mayor Ann Duke added: “We are all in shock at this news. Peter has been such a well-loved and well-respected leader in our community over many years.

“He was totally, and selflessly, dedicated to supporting residents and the needs of our community.

“We are grateful for everything he has done in the service of our town.

“He has given so much of his life to the community as a town, parish, borough and county councillor.

“He went about his work quietly in a very dedicated way and people really loved and respected him for it.

“Peter was a really strong leader. His judgement was incredibly sound. He simply did what was best for the people and areas he represented.

“His dedication to the community and his beautiful family were his life. Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Dr Jo and the Harman Family.”

Leader of the Green and Independent Group at KCC, of which Cllr Harman was a member, Cllr Rich Lehmann has also paid tribute.

He said: “This sad news has shocked all of us in Peter’s group at KCC.

“Peter was a respected member of our group whose experience at KCC many of us valued enormously when we were elected to the council in 2021.

“He worked tirelessly for the residents of Swanscombe and Greenhithe and he will be greatly missed.”

Cllr Harman was notably part of the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents' Association (SGRA), the party for which he stood in elections, and was passionate about a range of issues across the district.

However, he was known most for the fight to reopen Galley Hill Road after a major landslip.

The councillor joined residents to protest one year on and called for KCC and central government to repair it.

Cllr Harman had been in the fire service for 35 years before he retired and had lived in Greenhithe for 53 years.

As a member of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority (KMFRA), he also helped plan the provision of fire and rescue services throughout the KCC and Medway Council areas.

Cllr Harman also helped introduce a public space protection order (PSPO) to tackle boy racers and anti-social gatherings and after years of campaigning, it was approved by Dartford council in May 2022.