Before (end of 1977) (57 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 43 · Labour 13 · The Liberal Party 1 · Other 0
After (end of 1978) (57 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 37 · Labour 18 · The Liberal Party 2 · Other 0
Ward results
Ashton1 seat · turnout 34.0%
| H. Dalton | Conservative | 1,047 ✓ |
| M. Brierley | Labour | 482 |
| E. Wysoczanski | LIB | 122 |
| G. Skinner | NF | 85 |
Avenham1 seat · turnout 46.1%
| G. Higney | Labour | 1,267 ✓ |
| J Meredith | Conservative | 731 |
| R. Murphy | LIB | 214 |
| M. Gibson | NF | 97 |
Brookfield1 seat · turnout 51.0%
| R. Atkinson | Labour | 1,392 ✓ |
| C. McElhone | Conservative | 1,015 |
| A. Fletcher | NF | 109 |
| B. Struszczak | COMM | 26 |
Cadley1 seat · turnout 44.2%
| T. Nicholson | Conservative | 1,894 |
| Rosemary Tait | Labour | 381 |
| W. Dean | NF | 104 |
Central2 seats · turnout 44.0%
| F. McGrath | Labour | 1,172 |
| J. O'Connor | Labour | 1,092 |
| J. McGrath | Conservative | 815 |
| J. Mackay | Conservative | 739 |
| A. Green | LIB | 166 |
| D. Riley | NF | 86 |
Deepdale1 seat · turnout 52.4%
| A. Richardson | Labour | 1,379 |
| E. White | Conservative | 1,056 |
| M. Scott | NF | 157 |
Fishwick1 seat · turnout 45.8%
| I. Hall | Labour | 1,515 |
| I. Robertson | Conservative | 807 |
| L. Parkinson | NF | 176 |
Greyfriars1 seat · turnout 47.5%
| P. Worrall | Conservative | 1,898 |
| R. Brown | Labour | 353 |
Ingol1 seat · turnout 64.9%
| G. Yates | LIB | 886 ✓ |
| G. Wilkins | Conservative | 471 |
| J. Hammonds | Labour | 321 |
| A. Thornton | NF | 30 |
Larches1 seat · turnout 48.1%
| G. Walmsley | Labour | 1,275 ✓ |
| E. Conway | Conservative | 937 |
| T. Elam | LIB | 161 |
| I. Thornton | NF | 80 |
MOORBROOK1 seat · turnout 49.0%
| L. Cartwright | Conservative | 1,254 |
| P. Leeming | Labour | 1,190 |
| J. Hetherington | NF | 96 |
PARK1 seat · turnout 46.1%
| M. Cornwell | Labour | 1,369 |
| K. Mason | Conservative | 991 |
| D. White | NF | 159 |
Preston Rural East1 seat · turnout 40.7%
| R. Johnson | Conservative | 779 |
| K. Hudson | Ind Con | 642 |
| G. Tait | NF | 69 |
Preston Rural West1 seat · turnout 34.5%
| N. Taylor | Conservative | 1,923 |
| David Robinson | Labour | 282 |
Ribbleton1 seat · turnout 41.8%
| J. Cox | Labour | 1,217 |
| J. Billington | Conservative | 708 |
| J. Apsden | NF | 97 |
Sharoe Green1 seat · turnout 45.6%
| J. Heatley | Conservative | 1,942 |
| B. Hodgson | Comm Cttee | 580 |
| M. Connolly | Labour | 456 |
St. Johns1 seat · turnout 46.5%
| T. McEvoy | Labour | 1,112 ✓ |
| G. Beesley | Conservative | 735 |
| P. Hulse | LIB | 88 |
| J. Scott | NF | 83 |
St. Matthews1 seat · turnout 47.5%
| M. Scowcroft | Labour | 1,288 |
| J. Bosson | Conservative | 655 |
| M. Dean | NF | 112 |
Tulketh1 seat · turnout 39.0%
| J. Johnstone | Conservative | 1,202 ✓ |
| S. Whiteside | Labour | 705 |
| R. Watson | LIB | 103 |
| J. Massey | NF | 81 |