Before (end of 1982) (22 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 15 · Conservative 6 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 1 · Labour 0
After (end of 1983) (22 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 13 · Conservative 7 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 2 · Labour 0
Ward results
Castle1 seat · turnout 48.3%
| J. Parsons | Independent | 655 |
| J. Ryder | Independent | 503 |
Lytchett Minster1 seat · turnout 30.4%
| D. Humphry | RES | 872 |
| A. Hannaford | Lib/Sdp | 602 |
| P. Jinks | Independent | 95 |
Swanage North1 seat · turnout 49.5%
| G. Rawlings | Lib/Sdp | 599 |
| H. Price | Conservative | 590 |
| E. Smith | RES | 196 |
Swanage South1 seat · turnout 38.3%
| A. Craven | Conservative | 644 ✓ |
| E. Gardiner | RES | 354 |
| M. Smith | Lib/Sdp | 258 |
| D. Lowery | Labour | 240 |
Wareham1 seat · turnout 48.6%
| J. Spiller | Independent | 977 |
| M. Hurst | Lib/Sdp | 780 |
Wool1 seat · turnout 49.7%
| Leigh Simone Hunt | Conservative | 1,051 |
| S Shinn | Labour | 498 |