Before (end of 1978) (57 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 45 · Conservative 8 · The Liberal Party 3 · Labour 1
After (end of 1979) (58 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 31 · Conservative 22 · The Liberal Party 4 · Labour 1
Ward results
Bovey3 seats
| C Mountford | Conservative | 1,507 ✓ |
| H Hooker | Conservative | 1,481 ✓ |
| F. Holmes | Independent | 1,378 ✓ |
| Heather Lee | Conservative | 1,259 |
| M Pickford | Labour | 492 |
| R Stonelake | Ind Con | 425 |
College3 seats
| F Humpherson | Independent | 1,645 ✓ |
| D Prouse | Independent | 1,398 ✓ |
| Norman Morrison | Conservative | 1,175 ✓ |
| I Snell | Conservative | 885 |
| P Pilkington | Conservative | 813 |
| D Findlay | LIB | 736 |
Dawlish South West2 seats
| E. Moore | Independent | 1,031 |
| L. Copp | Independent | 978 |
| M. Rowberry | LIB | 572 |
| N. Hocken | Ind Con | 512 |
| G. Heynes | Ind Con | 416 |