Oswestry (borough)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Borough of Oswestry
Oswestry
Shown within Shropshire non-metropolitan county
Geography
Status: Non-metropolitan district and Borough
Region: West Midlands
Administrative and Ceremonial county: Shropshire
Area:
- Total
Ranked 172nd
256.08 km²
Admin. HQ: Oswestry
ONS code: 39UD
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2006 est.)
- Density
Ranked 347th
39,700
155 / km²
Ethnicity: 98.9% White
Politics
Oswestry Borough Council
http://www.oswestrybc.gov.uk/
Leadership: Leader & Cabinet
Executive: Conservative
MP: Owen Paterson

Oswestry (Welsh: Croesoswallt) is a small local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England. It is the smallest of the five districts of Shropshire in terms of both population and land area.

Its council is based in Oswestry, the only town and largest settlement in the borough. Villages in the borough include St Martin's, Whittington, Gobowen, Pant, Trefonen and Ruyton XI Towns.

The three most deprived wards in Shropshire (not including Telford and Wrekin) are found in Oswestry Borough. They are Victoria, Gatacre and Llanyblodwel.

The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a direct successor to Oswestry Rural District.

The district and its council will be abolished on 1st April 2009 when the new Shropshire unitary authority is established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.