Woodside pub refurbishment will pave the way for new chip shop

A Woodside pub is being refurbished to accommodate a new fish and chip shop, thanks to funding from Telford & Wrekin Council as the community gears up for more investment and improvements through the Government’s Pride in Place programme.

The fish and chip shop will be based at the Elizabethan, 65 Park Lane, meeting a gap in the market for this service in Woodside at a local community hub.

Telford & Wrekin Council has worked with Madeley Town Council to support the pub with extensive refurbishment work and the close working is set to continue over coming months and years through the wider Pride in Place programme.

This will help create a community asset where residents can come and enjoy a meal or a takeaway.

The Elizabethan is a welcoming local pub and bed and breakfast which is popular with the local community and visitors to Woodside.

The Government’s ten-year Pride in Place plan which was launched by Chancellor Reeves, Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government Steve Reed, and MP for Telford Shaun Davies will help three neighbourhoods in the south of Telford – Woodside, Sutton Hill and Brookside.

These neighbourhoods are being given £20 million to drive improvements that matter most to residents in the local area such as parks and green spaces.

Funding allocated towards Woodside will allow local people to have a say in where and how money is spent in their area and Telford & Wrekin Council is investing an extra £10 million, boosting the sum to £30 million over the next ten years.

The Council has now launched the search for an Independent Chair of a new Neighbourhood Board, providing a rare opportunity to shape South Telford’s future. This is a chance to guide a £30 million, 10‑year investment supporting wide‑ranging improvements across Woodside, Brookside and Sutton Hill.

The Chair will work closely with residents, partners, community organisations and local leaders to ensure that community voices directly shape local decisions.

Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council Leader, said: “We are always supportive of local businesses and new business ventures, and we’re pleased to work with Madeley Town Council to fund this project as we all look forward to plenty more to come through the exciting Pride in Place programme.

“Through this venture we’ll see a popular pub refurbished and an exciting new business open at the venue which will boost trade for both and fill the gap for a fish and ship chop in Woodside.”

Councillor Kelly Middleton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Healthier Communities and Ward Member for Woodside, said: “We are pleased to support this pub refurbishment project which will bring a new fish and chip shop to the heart of the Woodside community.

“The Elizabethan is a popular pub and this will be an ideal location for the shop and meet the needs of many residents locally. I’m sure that both businesses will work in tandem extremely well.”

Councillor Helena Morgan, Mayor of Madeley Town Council, said: “This is a really positive investment in Woodside and in one of its key community venues.

“The Elizabethan is already well used and well loved, and this refurbishment, together with the new fish and chip shop, will make it even more valuable to local residents. 

“Madeley Town Council is pleased to be working with Telford & Wrekin Council to support projects that strengthen local communities and support local businesses in a very practical way.”

Shaun Davies MP said: "It is fantastic to see the first Pride in Place project taking shape. When we launched this funding, I said it was about listening to residents – and this fish and chip shop is exactly the kind of local project people wanted. This is just the beginning of exciting improvements to our communities."

Woodside was selected as one of the first areas in the UK to take part in the Government’s Pride in Place programme - a national initiative focused on strengthening communities, improving public spaces and giving residents a greater say in shaping their future.

It supports long‑term renewal in some of the country’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The investment was made possible through joint work between the Council and Telford MP Shaun Davies, alongside the local community. Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Communities Secretary Steve Reed MP unveiled the plan when they visited Woodside in September 2025.