Wrexham (county borough)

Wrexham ( _cy. Wrecsam) is a county borough centred on the town of Wrexham in north-east Wales. The county borough has a population of 130,200 inhabitants. Just under half of the population live either within the town of Wrexham or its surrounding conurbation of urban villages. The remainder living to the south and east of the town in more rural areas.

The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996. Borough status was inherited from the town of Wrexham, granted over 150 years ago. Most of the area was previously part of the district of Wrexham Maelor - with several communities coming from Glyndwr - in the county of Clwyd.

The area includes a portion of the eastern half of the former county of Denbighshire (although not forming part of the modern county of Denbighshire), and two former exclaves of Flintshire - Maelor Saesneg and the parish of Marford and Hoseley.

Government

The region is governed as a unitary authority by Wrexham County Borough Council. Most offices of the council are situated within Wrexham town centre, around Llwyn Isaf and the Civic Centre around Chester Street. The headquarters of the organisation is at the Guild Hall, Queens Square.

chools

Top performing Secondary Schools in Wrexham borough (5 GCSEs, grades A*-C, according to the latest inspection report by Estyn) All Schools English speaking unless stated:

*81 % The Maelor School, Penley

*77 % St. Joseph's Catholic and Anglican High School, Wrexham

*61 % Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, Wrexham (Bilingual)
*57 % Darland High School, Wrexham

*46 % Ysgol Rhiwabon, Ruabon

*42 % Ysgol Grango, Rhosllannerchrugog

*41 % Ysgol Clywedog, Wrexham

*38 % Ysgol Bryn Alyn, Gwersyllt

*36 % Ysgol Rhosnesni, Wrexham

Twinning

* Iserlohn (Märkischer Kreis), Germany
* Racibórz, Poland

The town and County Borough of Wrexham is twinned with the German district of Märkischer Kreis and the Polish town of Racibórz.

The first twinning was established on 17 March 1970 between the former Kreis Iserlohn and Wrexham Rural District. Its early success ensured that, after local government reorganisation in both countries in the mid-seventies, the twinning was taken over by the new councils of Märkischer Kreis and Wrexham Maelor Borough Council and, in 1996, by Wrexham County Borough Council.

In 2001 Märkischer Kreis entered a twinning arrangement with Racibórz (Ratibor), a county in Poland, which was formerly part of Silesia, Germany. In September 2002, a delegation from Racibórz visited Wrexham and began discussions about co-operation which led to the signing of Articles of Twinning between Wrexham and Racibórz in March 2004. The Wrexham area has strong historical links with Poland. Following World War II, many service personnel from the Free Polish armed forces who had been injured received treatment at Penley Polish Hospital. Many of their descendants remain in the area.

ee also

*List of places in Wrexham county borough for a list of towns and villages

External links

* [http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/ Wrexham County Borough Council Website]
* [http://www.wrexhamtoday.co.uk/ Wrexham Today - Portal for Wrexham]
* [http://www.wrexhambusinessblog.co.uk/ The Wrexham Business Blog]
* [http://www.wrexhambusinessdirectory.co.uk/ The Wrexham Business Directory]
* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1998/19983142.htm Electoral Arrangements Order 1998 - description of Wards]
* [http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/council/wardmap.htm Wrexham Council Ward Map]
* [http://www.north-wales.police.uk/nwp/cbm/en/wrexham_cbm.asp North Wales Police Wrexham Ward Map]
* [http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/docopen.cfm?orgid=270&ID=50164&116428E7-391D-4629-8B0CF31E24F0F6BA NHS Review of substance misuse including Ward Deprivation Map and detailed population/age group figures] (PDF Viewer Required)