Before (end of 1979) (54 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 32 · Conservative 19 · Other 2 · The Liberal Party 1
After (end of 1980) (54 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 35 · Conservative 19 · The Liberal Party 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Barclay1 seat · turnout 39.4%
| T. Bradley | Labour | 1,169 |
| E. Burrows | Conservative | 284 |
| H. Greenwood | Dissident T&R | 75 |
Brunshaw1 seat · turnout 44.9%
| J. Heyes | Labour | 1,324 |
| K. Rawlinson | Conservative | 488 |
Burnley Wood1 seat · turnout 49.6%
| J. Kelly | Labour | 890 |
| F. Bailey | Conservative | 773 |
Coal Clough1 seat · turnout 38.0%
| P Tierney | Labour | 821 |
| H. Carroll | Independent | 558 |
Daneshouse1 seat · turnout 36.6%
| F. Booth | Labour | 946 |
| E. Ridge | Conservative | 431 |
Fulledge1 seat · turnout 47.5%
| M. Bayliff | Labour | 1,062 |
| S. Horne | Conservative | 569 |
Gawthorpe1 seat · turnout 48.5%
| D. Jackson | Labour | 1,043 |
| V. Macmillan | Conservative | 735 |
Heasandford1 seat · turnout 45.9%
| I. Cooney | Labour | 1,181 |
| G. Kay | Conservative | 645 |
Lanehead1 seat · turnout 37.9%
| L. Bullock | Conservative | 789 |
| M. Roberts | Labour | 774 |
Lowerhouse1 seat · turnout 46.3%
| J. Keller | Labour | 1,043 |
| Colleen Margaret Anne Sullivan | Conservative | 569 |
Park1 seat · turnout 49.1%
| T. Lynch | Labour | 1,089 |
| R. Gouldin | Conservative | 480 |
Queensgate1 seat · turnout 46.7%
| A. Duffield | Labour | 680 |
| R. Pilling | LIB | 617 |
| J. Bithell | Conservative | 459 |
Simonstone Hill1 seat · turnout 49.0%
| J. Brown | Conservative | 515 |
| B. Noble | Labour | 104 |
Trinity1 seat · turnout 46.2%
| J. Eccles | Conservative | 807 |
| Entwistle J. | Labour | 687 |
Whittlefield1 seat · turnout 61.4%
| D. Jackson | Conservative | 989 |
| J. Meakin | Labour | 744 |
| J. Hipwell | LIB | 328 |
Worsthorne1 seat · turnout 49.7%
| G. Halsted | Conservative | 554 |
| J. Desmond | Labour | 313 |
| A. West | LIB | 183 |
