Before (end of 1981) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 21 · Labour 13 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 2 · Other 0
After (end of 1982) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 22 · Labour 10 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 3 · Other 1
Ward results
EDEN1 seat
| D. Johnson | Conservative | 691 |
| C. Bishop | Lib/Sdp | 324 |
| G. Pearson | Labour | 190 |
Greenfield1 seat
| L. Riley | Conservative | 836 |
| N. O'Brien | Labour | 673 |
| D. Mann | Lib/Sdp | 410 |
Greensclough1 seat
| M. Talukdar | Conservative | 625 |
| D. Baron | Labour | 618 |
| N. Taylor | Lib/Sdp | 585 |
Hareholme1 seat
| B. Smith | Conservative | 1,000 ✓ |
| M. Disley | Labour | 926 |
| B. Watkins | Lib/Sdp | 407 |
| H. Malley | COMM | 67 |
Healey & Whitworth1 seat
| H. Masterson | Lib/Sdp | 635 |
| A. Bolton | Conservative | 616 |
| J. Wilkinson | Labour | 573 |
Helmshore1 seat
| P. Evans | Conservative | 1,112 |
| M. Gauntlett | Lib/Sdp | 829 |
| J. Brannigan | Labour | 666 |
Irwell1 seat
| J. Holt | Conservative | 1,075 |
| P. Heyworth | Labour | 768 |
| D. Whatmough | Lib/Sdp | 450 |
Longholme1 seat
| E. Graham | Conservative | 940 ✓ |
| A. Fishwick | Labour | 891 |
| J. Barton | Lib/Sdp | 277 |
| A. Cowley | COMM | 53 |
Stacksteads1 seat
| D. Easton | Labour | 730 |
| J. Butterworth | Conservative | 557 |
| B. Howorth | Lib/Sdp | 528 |
Whitewell2 seats
| J. Connolly | Labour | 1,194 |
| W. Nuttall | Conservative | 893 |
| E. Harvey | Labour | 837 |
| J. Patterson | Conservative | 808 |
| F. Whittaker | Lib/Sdp | 442 |
| K. Winfield | Lib/Sdp | 304 |