Before (end of 1979) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 28 · Labour 5 · The Liberal Party 3 · Other 0
After (end of 1980) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 21 · Labour 13 · The Liberal Party 2 · Other 0
Ward results
EDEN1 seat
| J. Dunne | Conservative | 867 |
| A. Fishwick | Labour | 367 |
Facit And Shawforth1 seat
| J. Hennighan | Labour | 616 |
| G. Lord | Conservative | 557 |
Greenfield1 seat
| D. Ramsden | Conservative | 1,149 |
| A. Banks | Labour | 912 |
Greensclough1 seat
| P. Navin | Labour | 890 |
| K. Clough | Conservative | 521 |
| A. Askew | LIB | 410 |
Helmshore1 seat
| S. Oldham | Conservative | 1,149 |
| H. Brannigan | Labour | 906 |
Irwell1 seat
| C. Robinson | Labour | 1,275 |
| J. Holt | Conservative | 1,038 |
Longholme1 seat
| E. Lowe | Labour | 1,124 |
| J. Greenwood | Conservative | 899 |
Stacksteads1 seat
| B. Castell | Labour | 1,070 |
| D. Benson | Conservative | 703 |
| J. Toole | LIB | 277 |
Whitewell1 seat
| W. Pearson | Labour | 1,262 |
| W. Nuttall | Conservative | 991 |