ENA Mill has been granted planning permission to double the size of its retail space in a move it says will create 200 new jobs over the next five years.

The expansion plans thumbs up comes just days after an office manager at the retail factory outlet in Atherton was jailed for three years and nine months for embezzling more than £150,000 from the company.

After 64-year-old Rita Swan admitted stealing the money and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday joint owners Simon Yates and Jonathan Addis vowed that the ‘crime won’t beat us’.

And on Tuesday they were celebrating a timely boost from Wigan Council and say the impending new leisure and community facilities will be of huge benefit to Atherton.

Jonathan said: “We hope our plans can be a catalyst for renewed commercial optimism in the town.

“We will repay people’s support by creating one of the best retail mill destinations in the country, right here in Atherton.

“We hope people will be as excited about that as we are.”

The planned development of the first floor of the grade II listed former cotton spinning building, which dates back to 1908, will increase the retail space to more than 80,000sq ft and will include a new 300-cover restaurant.

The iconic engine room will be restored and made available to the community for meetings and functions.

Other highlights of the five-year plan for the five-floor Ena Mill include the creation of a heritage centre celebrating the area’s industrial past, additional on-site parking, a second restaurant and a newly revealed final development phase to convert the top two floors into 80 residential apartments.

Simon added: “The planning permission is wonderful news for Atherton.

“Six years ago Jon and I took the biggest gamble of our lives by becoming the owners of Ena Mill.

“Back then we had a simple vision to breathe new life into the mill.

“What has happened since then has been nothing short of remarkable – we have seen almost two million customers travel to Atherton, many of them coming many miles to visit.

“This planning permission gives us the chance to maintain that pace of growth and build a famous retail experience Atherton deserves.”

Swan, from Blackburn, had worked for Simon and Jonathan since 2006 and they are keen to thank customers and staff for their support following the conclusion of the ‘regrettable’ case.

Simon said: “Some of our customers and suppliers knew what we have been going through.

“We want to thank everyone in the Ena Mill family – employees, customer and suppliers – for their support.

“We won’t forget it. It means the world to us.”

Jonathan added: “They say that sometimes the worst situations can show you the best in people.

“The way the Ena Mill family has rallied round is a perfect example of that, and that is certainly how we will choose to reflect on this regrettable, and thankfully closed, chapter of our lives.

“We can now put this whole sorry incident behind us.

“It is a relief for us all to be able to concentrate on our new expansion plans without distractions.

“We have built our whole business on trust.

“We trust hundreds of suppliers and employees, the same way our customers trust us.

“That won’t change and this crime won’t beat us.”