Royal power

In recent time, Prince Charles has been preoccupied with fighting architect Richard Rogers’ housing plans on the site of the former Chelsea Barracks.

But now he has turned his attentions closer to home with plans to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of Clarence House.

Planning documents submitted to Westminster Council earlier this month say the plan is ‘the latest in a line of renewable technology projects undertaken by the household of HRH the Prince of Wales that not only have a direct benefit of reducing fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions but also have an indirect impact by raising the profile of such technologies’.

That all sounds very nice, but Closed Circuit wonders whether the prince is bracing himself for calls from other royals concerned about the project’s impact.

Popularity comes at rather a high price these days, or at least it does for government departments.

Figures uncovered in a series of parliamentary questions submitted by Tory MP Damian Hinds show that the Communities and Local Government department spent £750,000 on getting their websites to the top of Google’s search rankings in the past two years.

The department spent the sum on paid search, which produces a box at the top of users’ search screens directing them to sites providing information on home information packs, energy performance certificates and eco-towns. There are no figures on how many new visitors the paid searches brought in, or whether this includes another CLG-run website, which allows council workers to make suggestions on potential savings local authorities can make. Perhaps a similar website for CLG would be a good idea.

And finally, happy birthday to Ian Perry, chief executive of Harvest Housing Group.

Mr Perry had arranged to chair the Northern Housing Summit last Friday - the day before a certain ‘landmark birthday’ - until he noticed a horrified expression on his wife’s face.

Mr Perry, who put in a fleeting appearance at the start of the all day conference, found out that a surprise break had been booked by the Perry family to Center Parcs for celebrations.

For some reason Mr Perry did not look too pained at swapping a day-long housing debate for the swimming pool.