A knitting firm which moved from London to the Isle of Man has been granted planning permission to expand the factory it opened earlier this year.

The Albion Knitting Company is known for its luxury knitwear manufacturing and has produced items for well-known luxury brands such as Givenchy, Chloe, Paul Smith, Studio Nicholson and Belstaff.

The factory, called Barrule House, opened in March at Ronaldsway Industrial Estate in Ballasalla, bringing 50 jobs to the Isle of Man

The company’s decision to move to the island followed a ‘team trip’ to the 2023 TT, which was swiftly followed by discussions with government agency Business Isle of Man regarding the island’s business opportunities.

Earlier this year Chris Murphy, the director of the Albion Knitting Company, said: ‘We are already working with local partners to fit out the new factory and in the second half of the year we will be looking to recruit and train as many local staff as possible who have some experience in or aptitude for knitwear.’

Now the company has been given the greenlight to expand the factory as part of its second phase of development.

In the cover letter, the company said: ‘In July 2024 the directors purchased Barrule House, a derelict industrial site and fully refurbished the main workshops including removing asbestos and replacing the roof.

‘Since the completion of phase one, Albion has been successfully manufacturing on this site since January 2025 and now employs 64 people at Ronaldsway.

‘Albion continues to expand its production in the Isle of Man and to facilitate this growth we wish replace the old derelict office structure with modern two-story workshops complimenting the architectural visual impact of phase one.’

The application was given the go ahead by planners this week although there no timescale for when the expansion work will begin.