Dover's new mayor wants to resolve the missing link in the town centre.

Gordon Cowan, who was elected last night, believes that a redeveloped Market Square would create the join between the original town centre and the new St James' complex.

He said in his acceptance speech: "After two decades of waiting we have finally a new shopping centre in St James'.

"We have some leisure in the mutiplex cinema, eating places, a hotel and shops.

"But there is concern for our existing town centre and how we can have direct opening from the Market Square.

"The project to improve Market Square, which was developed with financial support from this council, is on the waiting list for Coastal Community funding.

"Whilst there is no guarantee that Dover will receive this much-needed boost it would be a great outcome for the partnership between Dover Town team, started by our former mayor, Sue Jones, and Dover Town Council."

The £53 million St James' Leisure and Retail Park opened in March 2018 but there have been fears of traders in the town's original precinct losing customers to it.

The businesses group Dover Town Team has applied to the government's Coastal Communities Fund for a grant to improve the square.

It was turned down in its £2.9 million bid in 2017 but is applying again.

Cllr Cowan was previously town mayor in 2000/01 and he won in an election in against one opponent, Cllr Chris Precious, who is also a former mayor.

The election took place at Dover Town Council's annual meeting, with a mayor making ceremony, at the Town Hall.

He replaces Cllr Sue Jones, who had held the post for a year.

Cllr Cowan's election is a resurgence in his profile after losing in the last district and county polls.

As Kent County Council Labour leader he lost his Dover Town seat in the 2017 election.

Cllr Cowan had been a district councillor for the Aylesham ward until the election on May 2 this year.

He then missed getting a place in the expanded Aylesham, Eythorne and Shepherdswell ward.

Dover's new deputy mayor is another Labour member, Dominic Howden who was elected for this first time in the May 2 poll.

He replaces Ian Palmer as deputy and was elected to the post last night after beating one opponent, Beccy Sawbridge of the Green Party.

Cllr Howden, an IT worker, said he agreed with new Deal mayor Eileen Rowbotham that helping save the environment was a town council priority.

He said: "On a personal note I hope to achieve service to the people in the town of Dover. I personally consider it to be an enormous honour.

"One of our number one priorities is most certainly the environment, that's hugely important at the moment."

Cllr Rowbotham had said on her election night on Monday said that she wanted to raise the profile of climate change and global warming as there was "no second planet."

Dover Town Council has 18 members, now consisting of nine Labour, two Conservative and two Green and five non-party.

Guests at the mayor making included Calais deputy mayor Phillipe Mignonet and Honorary Freemen of Dover such as local journalist Terry Sutton and filmmaker Mike McFarnell.

Also there was Noel Beamish, of Dover Outreach Centre, who gave a talk on the homelessness group's work.