Wrexham County Borough

Wrexham County Borough (Welsh: Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam) is a local government principal area centred on the town of Wrexham in northeast Wales. The county borough has a population of nearly 135,000 inhabitants. Around 63,000 of these live either within the town of Wrexham or in the surrounding conurbation of urban villages. The remainder live to the south and east of the town in more rural areas, including the borough's large salient in the Ceiriog Valley. The area has strong links with coal-mining.

Wrexham County Borough
Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam
Borough and Principal area
Wrexham County Borough shown within Wales
Coordinates: 53.05°N 3.00°W / 53.05; -3.00
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country Wales
Preserved countyClwyd
Established1 April 1996
Administrative HQWrexham
Government
 • TypePrincipal council
 • BodyWrexham County Borough Council
 • ExecutiveTBA (council NOC)
 • LeaderMark Pritchard (Independent)
 • MayorRob Walsh (Welsh Liberal Democrats)
 • Chief ExecutiveIan Bancroft
 • MPsSarah Atherton (C)
Simon Baynes (C)
Area
 • Total193 sq mi (499 km2)
Area rank10th
Population
 (2017)
 • Total136,126
 • Rank10th
 • Density700/sq mi (270/km2)
 • Ethnicity
97.6% white
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
GSS codeW06000006
ISO 3166-2GB-WRX
NUTS 3 codeUKL23
ONS code00NL
Websitewww.wrexham.gov.uk
Pontycysyllte canal boat aqueduct on Wrexham's outskirts – A UNESCO World Heritage Site

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 Glyndŵr – in the county of Clwyd.

The area includes a portion of the eastern half of the historic county of Denbighshire (although not forming part of the principal area of Denbighshire), and two exclaves of historic Flintshire: English Maelor 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 Guildhall, Queens Square.

Assembly members
Constituency Assembly member Political party Electoral region Assembly member Political party
Clwyd South Ken Skates Labour Party North Wales Michelle Brown Independent
Wrexham Lesley Griffiths Llyr Huws Gruffydd Plaid Cymru
Mark Isherwood Conservative Party
Mandy Jones Brexit Party

Schools
Main article: List of schools in Wrexham

Top performing Secondary schools in Wrexham County Borough.

Percentages are those achieving at least 5 GCSEs at grades A*-C, according to the latest inspection report by Estyn.

All schools English medium unless stated:

%NameLocation
86%The Maelor SchoolPenley
61%Ysgol Morgan Llwyd (bilingual)Wrexham
56%Ysgol RhiwabonRuabon
49%St Joseph's Catholic & Anglican High School*Wrexham
48%Darland High School*Rossett
44%Ysgol y Grango*Rhosllannerchrugog
41%Ysgol Clywedog*Wrexham
38%Ysgol Bryn Alyn*Gwersyllt
36%Rhosnesni High School*Wrexham

*Incomplete secondary school which does not have a Sixth Form

Twinning

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, 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.

See also
  • List of places in Wrexham County Borough for a list of towns and villages
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