Before (end of 1975) (41 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 21 · Other 11 · The Liberal Party 9 · Conservative 0
After (end of 1976) (41 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 17 · The Liberal Party 11 · Other 11 · Conservative 2
Ward results
Bishop Auckland Town3 seats · turnout 35.6%
| G. Hill | Independent | 680 |
| D. Rees | LIB | 545 |
| D. Harburn | Labour | 503 |
| S Dent | Labour | 457 |
| F. Forrester | LIB | 387 |
| M. Harburn | Labour | 356 |
| H. Harrison | LIB | 343 |
Coundon3 seats · turnout 33.2%
| K. Bulman | LIB | 628 |
| W. Archer | Labour | 623 |
| T. Briggs | LIB | 549 |
| G. Brown | Labour | 500 |
| T. Conlon | Independent | 493 |
| T. Pelton | LIB | 469 |
| Jean Lee | Labour | 424 |
Escomb1 seat · turnout 63.2%
| G. York | Independent | 265 ✓ |
| T. Maddison | Independent | 230 |
| R. Dixon | Labour | 73 |
| H. Gilbert | LIB | 31 |
Howden Le Wear1 seat · turnout 51.9%
| M. Tarren | LIB | 552 |
| W. Davies | Labour | 323 |
No. 10 (Crook North)1 seat · turnout 64.7%
| Trevor Graham Hall | Labour | 426 |
| H. Johnson | Independent | 269 |
| M. Scarlett | Ind SOC | 48 |
No. 11 (Crook South)2 seats · turnout 43.2%
| A. Brooksbank | Labour | 627 |
| T. Moralee | Labour | 586 |
| J. Clegg | LIB | 384 |
| J. Pinkney | LIB | 366 |
No. 2 (Cockton Hill)4 seats · turnout 41.1%
| M. Hurst | Conservative | 911 |
| H. Fawcett | LIB | 882 |
| G. Liddell | Conservative | 808 |
| C. Wood | LIB | 803 |
| J. Ratcliffe | LIB | 706 |
| D. Ainscough | Conservative | 705 |
| J. Holder | Conservative | 676 |
| E. Cook | LIB | 565 |
| W. Jones | Labour | 434 |
| J. Harburn | Labour | 422 |
| F. Dawson | Labour | 408 |
| R. Dobson | Labour | 367 |
No. 3 (Woodhouse Close)3 seats · turnout 26.5%
| A. Graham | Labour | 603 |
| F. Foster | Labour | 550 |
| J. Bryan | Labour | 547 |
| W. Walker | Ind Lab | 462 |
| T. Taylor | LIB | 328 |
| D. Ruddick | LIB | 309 |
| R. Wright | LIB | 241 |
| F. Forster | Independent | 187 |
No. 4 (St. Helens & West Auckland)3 seats · turnout 28.2%
| D. Wallis | LIB | 874 |
| T. Clayton | LIB | 714 |
| S. Taylor | LIB | 590 |
| P. Shepherd | Labour | 584 |
| J. Makinson | Labour | 480 |
| G. Steadman | Labour | 475 |
No. 7 (West Auckland & Coundon Grange)3 seats · turnout 51.4%
| C. Hopper | Independent | 793 ✓ |
| J. Callaghan | Independent | 700 ✓ |
| J. Dixon | LIB | 507 ✓ |
| V. Cooper | Labour | 426 |
| P. Clark | LIB | 311 |
| T. Stonehouse | Labour | 281 |
| R. Kirby | LIB | 238 |
| C. Lowe | Labour | 216 |
| J. Bramhald | Conservative | 209 |
| M. Bowen-Jones | Conservative | 154 |
No. 9 (Crook East)1 seat · turnout 54.9%
| O. Brown | Labour | 449 |
| A. Pinkney | LIB | 79 |
St. Johns Chapel1 seat · turnout 65.7%
| K. Pattinson | Independent | 399 |
| W. Peart | Independent | 302 |
Stanhope2 seats · turnout 48.9%
| T. Spark | Labour | 856 |
| G. Hogarth | Independent | 597 |
| W Hobson | Labour | 571 |
Stanley1 seat · turnout 51.7%
| W. Hall | Labour | 457 |
| E. Nicholson | LIB | 254 |
Tow Law2 seats · turnout 31.1%
| J. Barrett | Labour | 398 |
| J. Hannibell | LIB | 385 |
| S. Wilkinson | Labour | 351 |
Wheatbottom and Helmington Row2 seats · turnout 45.8%
| R. Pendlebury | Labour | 873 |
| A. Rhymer | Ind Lab | 853 |
| E. Wragg | Labour | 713 |
Willington East3 seats · turnout 57.2%
| J. Richardson | Labour | 1,434 |
| A. Seddon | Labour | 1,259 |
| K. Reed | Labour | 1,206 |
| W. Cottle | Independent | 580 |
| E. Campbell | LIB | 308 |
| W. Mounter | LIB | 264 |
Willington West2 seats · turnout 54.5%
| J. Smith | Independent | 755 |
| B. Wilkinson | Independent | 638 |
| G. Taylor | Labour | 498 |
| A. Gibson | Labour | 453 |
Wolsingham2 seats · turnout 51.7%
| D. Wilson | Independent | 710 |
| J. Humble | Independent | 563 |
| J. Forster | LIB | 480 |
| G. Richmond | Independent | 387 |
| F. Hunt | Labour | 303 |
| N. Peveller | Labour | 257 |