Before (end of 1982) (47 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 38 · Labour 5 · Other 3 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 1
After (end of 1983) (48 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 39 · Other 5 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 4 · Labour 0
Ward results
Barcombe1 seat · turnout 50.5%
| J. Cornwell | Independent | 434 |
| M. McPherson | Lib/Sdp | 79 |
| J. White | Labour | 49 |
Chailey1 seat · turnout 37.4%
| K. Knight | Conservative | 389 |
| P. Ebert | Lib/Sdp | 238 |
| M. Webster | Labour | 37 |
Ditchling1 seat · turnout 49.6%
| M. Benham | Conservative | 635 |
| D. Marshall | Labour | 99 |
East Saltdean2 seats
| N Barnett | Conservative | 701 ✓ |
| E. Flint | Conservative | 697 ✓ |
| D Lawrence | Labour | 247 |
| N Elias | Labour | 217 |
Hamsey1 seat · turnout 33.6%
| S. Whitley | Conservative | 233 |
| A. Fletcher | Labour | 71 |
Kingston1 seat · turnout 61.0%
| H. Bartholomew | Conservative | 401 |
| E. Hurst | Lib/Sdp | 377 |
| J. Bell | Labour | 161 |
Lewes Bridge3 seats · turnout 44.7%
| D. Bellotti | Lib/Sdp | 1,069 |
| T. Blake | Lib/Sdp | 797 |
| C. Tester | Lib/Sdp | 744 |
| E. Howard | Labour | 612 |
| D. Powell | Labour | 482 |
| M. Woodling | Labour | 421 |
| M Morton-George | Conservative | 417 |
| D. Wimbush | Independent | 222 |
Lewes Castle3 seats
| F Hayward | Independent | 989 ✓ |
| Graham John Mayhew | Independent | 950 ✓ |
| F Mayhew | Independent | 903 ✓ |
| David Winter | Conservative | 600 |
| J Jacobs | Labour | 595 |
| A Hunter | Labour | 520 |
| D Ward | Labour | 497 |
| R Small | Lib/Sdp | 456 |
| M Chartier | Lib/Sdp | 391 |
| R. Philp | Lib/Sdp | 377 |
Lewes Priory3 seats
| F. Tufnell | Conservative | 1,056 ✓ |
| G Reaks | Conservative | 918 ✓ |
| R. Simmonds | Conservative | 860 ✓ |
| P Linklater | Independent | 577 |
| A Harberson | Lib/Sdp | 544 |
| R Charlton | Labour | 541 |
| S Davies | Labour | 528 |
| Z Marsh | Lib/Sdp | 524 |
| P Cook | Lib/Sdp | 522 |
| P Meek | Labour | 477 |
| J Best | Ind SDP | 94 |
Newhaven Denton2 seats · turnout 43.9%
| E. Walmsley | Conservative | 564 |
| M. Gibbs | Conservative | 539 |
| L. Lamont | Labour | 309 |
| R. De Wilde | Labour | 243 |
| I. Michell | Lib/Sdp | 228 |
| G. Morris | Lib/Sdp | 191 |
Newhaven Meeching2 seats · turnout 42.8%
| P. Harwood | Conservative | 764 |
| J. Kennedy | Conservative | 726 |
| J. Ingram | Labour | 546 |
| M. Whitehead | Labour | 466 |
Newhaven Valley2 seats · turnout 40.4%
| B. Rugg | Conservative | 593 |
| C. Temple | Conservative | 539 |
| A. Huntley | Labour | 387 |
| P. Bird | Labour | 341 |
Newick1 seat · turnout 54.3%
| A. Deats | Conservative | 726 |
| R. Midgley | Lib/Sdp | 185 |
| D. Stainwright | Labour | 53 |
Ouse Valley1 seat · turnout 42.7%
| R. Robinson | Conservative | 399 |
| R. Outhwaite | Labour | 179 |
Peacehaven East2 seats · turnout 34.8%
| C. Henning | Conservative | 435 |
| F. Herriott | Conservative | 433 |
| M. Browne | Lib/Sdp | 224 |
| D. Carver | Labour | 200 |
| T May | Labour | 197 |
| A. Williamson | Lib/Sdp | 168 |
Peacehaven North2 seats · turnout 34.4%
| K. Rozzier | Conservative | 694 |
| A. Oliver | Conservative | 628 |
| J. Hodgson | Labour | 471 |
| R. Weatherhead | Labour | 424 |
| G. Wagstaff | Lib/Sdp | 272 |
| S. Griffiths | Lib/Sdp | 225 |
Peacehaven West2 seats · turnout 36.9%
| J. Clayton | Conservative | 618 |
| L. Vince | Conservative | 615 |
| J. Jones | Labour | 275 |
| W. Preston | Labour | 263 |
Plumpton1 seat · turnout 49.9%
| K. Moorhouse | Conservative | 578 |
| J. Hunter | Labour | 82 |
Ringmer2 seats · turnout 55.6%
| G. Hook | Lib/Sdp | 829 |
| A. Peters | Independent | 757 |
| P. Boxall | Independent | 717 |
| M. Gray | Lib/Sdp | 554 |
| D. Hardcastle | Conservative | 551 |
| P. Ballance | Labour | 145 |
Seaford Central3 seats
| P Gadsdon | Conservative | 1,056 ✓ |
| P Monico | Conservative | 1,044 ✓ |
| R Oeters | Conservative | 1,015 ✓ |
| J. Martin | Lib/Sdp | 551 |
| L Scharer | Lib/Sdp | 513 |
| J Rowcroft | Labour | 257 |
Seaford East3 seats · turnout 36.9%
| I. Hyde | Conservative | 1,195 |
| J. Palmer | Conservative | 1,182 |
| J. Seymour | Conservative | 1,129 |
| S. Laker | Lib/Sdp | 458 |
| Matthews R. | Labour | 316 |
Seaford North3 seats · turnout 36.1%
| K. Whitehead | Conservative | 959 |
| I. Young | Conservative | 943 |
| D. Wheeler | Conservative | 913 |
| J. Tucker | Lib/Sdp | 491 |
| J. Welford | Lib/Sdp | 469 |
| M. Birch | Lib/Sdp | 377 |
| R Brandley | Labour | 277 |
Seaford West3 seats · turnout 43.7%
| C. Paley-Phillips | Conservative | 998 |
| K. Thompson | Conservative | 927 |
| S. Bleach | Conservative | 916 |
| R. Rose | Independent | 796 |
| D. Seagrave | Independent | 611 |
| J. Cox | Labour | 193 |
Telscombe Cliffs2 seats · turnout 34.9%
| M. Parker | Conservative | 617 |
| N. Wilkins | Conservative | 576 |
| S. Marshall | Labour | 201 |
| M. Elias | Labour | 182 |
Wivelsfield1 seat · turnout 45.1%
| V. Rowell | Conservative | 416 |
| J. Reynolds | Labour | 93 |