Before (end of 1986) (57 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 34 · Conservative 18 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 5 · Other 0
After (end of 1987) (57 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 35 · Conservative 16 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 6 · Other 0
Ward results
Ashton1 seat · turnout 52.4%
| K. Ashton | Conservative | 1,188 |
| J. Balshaw | Labour | 984 |
| J. Knight | Lib/Sdp | 304 |
Avenham1 seat · turnout 48.2%
| Danny Burns | Labour | 1,119 |
| I. Thomas | Lib/Sdp | 839 |
| S. Haigh | Conservative | 243 |
Brookfield1 seat · turnout 47.8%
| J. Browne | Labour | 1,292 |
| E. Slater | Conservative | 952 |
| E. Rowland | Lib/Sdp | 200 |
Cadley1 seat · turnout 60.8%
| A. Hackett | Lib/Sdp | 1,684 |
| Kathleen Cartwright | Conservative | 1,428 |
| A. Lovett | Labour | 236 |
Central1 seat · turnout 36.3%
| David Robinson | Labour | 830 |
| W. Davies | Conservative | 286 |
| E. Wysoczanski | Lib/Sdp | 107 |
Deepdale1 seat · turnout 41.6%
| V. Afrin | Labour | 1,242 |
| A. Bentham | Conservative | 638 |
| P. Pullen | Lib/Sdp | 198 |
Greyfriars1 seat · turnout 48.6%
| D. Chaloner | Conservative | 1,800 |
| M. Onyon | Lib/Sdp | 607 |
| Rosemary Tait | Labour | 250 |
Ingol1 seat · turnout 46.2%
| R. Marshall | Lib/Sdp | 1,616 |
| L. Gornall | Labour | 538 |
| Sheila Heys | Conservative | 428 |
PARK1 seat · turnout 42.9%
| A. Gornall | Labour | 1,384 |
| T Whalley | Conservative | 385 |
| M. Croasdale | Lib/Sdp | 307 |
Preston Rural East1 seat · turnout 41.7%
| Hudson K. | Conservative | 1,264 |
| M. Connolly | Lib/Sdp | 290 |
| H Oldcorn | Labour | 140 |
Preston Rural West1 seat · turnout 50.4%
| N. Bannister | Conservative | 1,918 |
| R. Hornby | Lib/Sdp | 1,088 |
| C. Sutherland | Labour | 232 |
Ribbleton1 seat · turnout 38.1%
| D. Roebuck | Labour | 1,113 |
| F. Loffler | Conservative | 292 |
| S. Horner | Lib/Sdp | 168 |
Sharoe Green1 seat · turnout 41.5%
| A. Scott | Conservative | 2,313 |
| J. Elsworth | Labour | 692 |
| D. Budge | Lib/Sdp | 666 |
St. Johns1 seat · turnout 52.0%
| M. Rawcliffe | Labour | 1,205 |
| A. Mason | Lib/Sdp | 536 |
| E Kerr | Conservative | 269 |
St. Matthews1 seat · turnout 32.5%
| J. Riding | Labour | 1,061 |
| P. Pullen | Lib/Sdp | 205 |
| Marie Milne | Conservative | 178 |
Tulketh1 seat · turnout 52.3%
| M. Buckley | Labour | 1,213 |
| J. Ainscough | Conservative | 1,128 |
| K. Willis | Lib/Sdp | 245 |
