REPRESENTATIVES from Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council and the Cabinet Office G7 taskforce will host a Facebook Live briefing tomorrow to answers questions from residents about the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit.

The live stream will take place on Thursday, March 25, from 6pm and people can follow along on either the Cornwall Council or Devon and Cornwall Police Facebook pages.

Superintendent Jo Hall, of Devon and Cornwall Police will host the event. She will be joined by Chief Superintendent Jim Pearce, Cornwall Commander and Chief Inspector Russell Dawe, lead planner for G7 policing and security.

Chief executive of Cornwall Council Kate Kennally and director of Public Health Rachel Wigglesworth will also appear alongside Cabinet Office G7 taskforce representatives Joseph Potts and Laura Perry.

Each organisation will deliver a short presentation outlining their plans to date, before answering questions from the public covering policing and security, transport, impact on local residents, COVID safety and securing a lasting legacy for Cornwall.

People be able to put their question to the panel by commenting on the live stream post or they can ask a question in advance of any organisation taking part by emailing [email protected] and the panel will try and answer as many as possible on the day.

Devon and Cornwall Police’s Supt Hall said: “We recognise our local communities will want to understand how this event will impact them and we hope that this opportunity will allow us to address any concerns residents may have.

“I look forward to welcoming you to the live chat on Thursday and continuing our conversation over the coming weeks as we build up to the event in June.”

Cornwall Council chief executive, Ms Kennally, said: “Hosting the G7 is a real honour for Cornwall and we’re looking forward to welcoming heads of state to our beautiful part of the world.

“There’s a great deal of work to be done before that happens, but preparations are well underway. We’re already working alongside colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police and central government, as well as local stakeholders, town and parish councils and community groups, to ensure we all play our part in helping the summit run as smoothly as possible, with the minimum amount of disruption for residents.

“As Cornwall Council, we’re also working to secure a lasting legacy for Cornwall that benefits one and all, not only those areas directly involved in the event itself.

“But make no mistake, this is a huge and unprecedented undertaking for Cornwall and I understand that a lot of people will have questions — and maybe some concerns — around it. That’s why I’m encouraging as many of you as possible to take part in this event and ask questions, and in turn we’ll try and answer as many as we can.”

Cornwall Council director of Public Health, Dr Wigglesworth, said: “It’s exciting for Cornwall to be hosting the G7, but it fair to say that hosting an event of this scale presents a set of unique challenges — particularly given that we’re in the midst of a pandemic.

“The health and wellbeing of residents is our absolute priority, and the public health team at Cornwall Council is already working closely with government and Devon and Cornwall Police to do all we can to minimise the risks from COVID for attendees and residents alike.

“I look forward to being able to share some of that information with you at this Facebook Live event, so please send your questions in and we’ll do our best to answer them.”