Before (end of 1979) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 53 · Conservative 24 · Other 1 · The Liberal Party 0
After (end of 1980) (78 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 58 · Conservative 18 · The Liberal Party 1 · Other 1
Ward results
No. 16 (Sunderland: Silksworth)1 seat · turnout 29.4%
| R. Hunter | Labour | 2,406 |
| R. Rollason | Conservative | 734 |
No. 24 (Penshaw & Herrington)1 seat · turnout 25.2%
| J. Mawston | Labour | 1,799 |
| S. Dodds | Conservative | 354 |
No. 7 (Sunderland: Ford & Pennywell)1 seat · turnout 19.5%
| M. Qualie | Labour | 1,788 |
| D. Wigham | Conservative | 492 |
No. 8 (Sunderland: Fulwell)1 seat · turnout 37.2%
| P. Astill | Conservative | 2,516 |
| J. Wainwright | Labour | 655 |
St Chad's1 seat
| J. Otterson | Labour | 1,780 |
| L. Appleton | Conservative | 1,502 |
| A. Petrov | LIB | 346 |