Before (end of 1985) (43 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 22 · Conservative 10 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 7 · Other 4
After (end of 1986) (43 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 24 · Conservative 13 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 4 · Other 2
Ward results
Belper East1 seat · turnout 64.5%
| P. Graham | Lib/Sdp | 1,489 |
| M. Heely | Labour | 1,394 |
| C. Hennessy | Conservative | 1,076 |
DUFFIELD1 seat · turnout 66.6%
| A. McHattie | Conservative | 1,333 |
| P. Hare | Lib/Sdp | 708 |
| Diana Hancock | Labour | 459 |
Heanor & Loscoe1 seat · turnout 49.1%
| I Cox | Labour | 1,089 |
| R. Jamison | Conservative | 891 |
Heanor East1 seat · turnout 46.9%
| B. Eley | Conservative | 1,051 |
| B. Holmes | Labour | 1,005 |
Ironville & Riddings1 seat · turnout 33.3%
| J Brown | Conservative | 710 |
| W. Griffiths | Lib/Sdp | 671 |
Langley Mill & Aldercar1 seat · turnout 44.8%
| I. Stokes | Labour | 1,038 |
| L. Riley | Independent | 626 |
| I. McCormick | Green | 72 |
Ripley1 seat · turnout 42.6%
| C. Cutting | Labour | 1,320 |
| D. Travis | Conservative | 976 |
| J. Woollacott | Lib/Sdp | 682 |
SOMERCOTES1 seat · turnout 41.2%
| John McCabe | Labour | 851 ✓ |
| W. Rimmington | Lib/Sdp | 523 |
| G Cope | Conservative | 374 |
| E. Kettlewell | Green | 54 |