RETROSPECTIVE planning permission has been approved to retain a permanent chess board on the lawn of Portmeirion Village.

The work, which has already been completed, included some mechanical excavation work to install the board, which is comprised of black and white tiles measuring 1.2m by 1.2m.

Every year, human chess, made famous in one of the episodes of The Prisoner filmed in the village - is recreated as part of Festival No 6.

Until this year, it has been played out on the lawn on the grass on a marked out board.

The new board is now insusceptible to the weather. Concerns were raised that the land “often gets wet and muddy” and a decision was made to re-locate the chess board to the exact site where the historic chess board was located.

Despite the popularity of The Prisoner series bringing tourists to the village all-year-round, nearby residents sent a “number of objections” to the application.

Residents said the chess board “is out of character with the area and the listed buildings”.

A planning report said: “There is historical evidence to support the proposal, and also in relation to the design and materials which can be seen in other parts of the site.

“A number of objections were also received in relation to the television programme The Prisoner and due to the fact that the chess board was part of the programme there is no justification for it.”

The plans were approved retrospectively at a meeting on Monday, 13 February.