Before (end of 1986) (54 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 41 · Conservative 8 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 5 · Other 0
After (end of 1987) (53 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 40 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 5 · Conservative 5 · Other 3
Ward results
Barclay2 seats
| K. Chappels | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| G. Caddy Ms. | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Burnley Wood1 seat · turnout 55.3%
| D. Pound | Lib/Sdp | 777 |
| K. Reade | Labour | 687 |
| D Heginbotham | Conservative | 260 |
Coal Clough1 seat · turnout 38.5%
| W. Croft | Labour | 765 |
| N. Holt | Conservative | 353 |
Daneshouse1 seat · turnout 43.2%
| P. Bennett | Labour | 922 |
| B. Taylor | Lib/Sdp | 299 |
| D. Ormerod | Conservative | 227 |
Deerplay1 seat · turnout 69.2%
| G. Birtwistle | Lib/Sdp | 489 |
| A. Haddock | Conservative | 208 |
| J. Tierney | Labour | 48 |
Fulledge1 seat · turnout 56.9%
| J. Bradshaw | Labour | 877 |
| G. Williams | Lib/Sdp | 788 |
| F. Meredith | Conservative | 153 |
Gawthorpe1 seat · turnout 48.5%
| J. Greenwood | Labour | 835 |
| K. Kirkham | Lib/Sdp | 542 |
| D. Martin | Conservative | 332 |
Hapton1 seat · turnout 44.8%
| G. Wernham | Independent | 459 |
| J. Stinton | Conservative | 256 |
| N Miah | Labour | 246 |
Heasandford1 seat · turnout 50.0%
| K. McGeorge | Labour | 1,410 |
| J. Capstick | Conservative | 522 |
Lanehead1 seat · turnout 45.7%
| Judith Cavanagh | Labour | 1,185 |
| R. Capstick | Conservative | 784 |
Lowerhouse1 seat · turnout 46.1%
| J. Alston | Labour | 866 |
| L. Dickens | Conservative | 563 |
| S. Eccles | Lib/Sdp | 207 |
Queensgate1 seat · turnout 47.5%
| B. Barnes | Labour | 757 |
| D. Holden | Lib/Sdp | 452 |
| E. Loder | Conservative | 425 |
Trinity1 seat · turnout 47.8%
| A. Greenwood | Labour | 786 |
| W. Smith | Conservative | 289 |
| J. Murgatroyd | Lib/Sdp | 234 |
Whittlefield1 seat · turnout 56.0%
| E. Tate | Conservative | 1,244 |
| P. Bilham | Labour | 777 |
| M. Booth | Lib/Sdp | 420 |