Before (end of 1977) (39 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 29 · The Liberal Party 6 · Labour 4 · Other 0
After (end of 1978) (39 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 29 · Labour 5 · The Liberal Party 5 · Other 0
Ward results
Belfairs1 seat
| G. Heath | Conservative | 2,472 |
| E. Griggs | LIB | 671 |
| A. Francis | Labour | 422 |
Eastwood2 seats
| I. Downie | Conservative | 2,295 |
| V. Kaye | Conservative | 2,222 |
| F. Heaffey | LIB | 1,383 |
| N. Goodman | LIB | 1,362 |
| P. Griffiths | Labour | 363 |
| B. Buitekant | Labour | 254 |
Leigh1 seat
| C. Titman | LIB | 2,519 |
| P. Bohling | Conservative | 2,391 |
| P. Harrison | Labour | 208 |
Prittlewell1 seat
| L. Myers | Conservative | 1,845 |
| J. Hugill | LIB | 1,836 |
| E. Wilson | Labour | 557 |
Shoebury1 seat
| R. Levy | Conservative | 1,868 |
| D. Jeffery | Labour | 1,138 |
| J. O'Neill | LIB | 362 |
Southchurch1 seat
| S. Bull | Conservative | 2,096 |
| H. Mapp | Labour | 735 |
St. Luke's1 seat
| R. Richmond | Conservative | 1,234 |
| N. Boorman | Labour | 1,186 |
| E. Jones | NF | 152 |
Thorpe1 seat
| N. Moss | Conservative | 2,741 |
| K. Redmond | Labour | 495 |
Victoria1 seat
| R. Kennedy | Labour | 1,298 |
| A. Fuller | Conservative | 1,265 |
Westborough1 seat
| P. Winkley | Conservative | 1,845 |
| A. Hurst | Labour | 1,374 |
| M. Lubel | LIB | 886 |
