Before (end of 1986) (51 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 26 · Conservative 21 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 3 · Other 1
After (end of 1987) (51 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 27 · Conservative 20 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 3 · Other 1
Ward results
Arthuret1 seat · turnout 50.7%
| J. Jefferson | Conservative | 698 |
| R. Dodds | Labour | 451 |
Belah1 seat · turnout 47.9%
| A. Duhig | Conservative | 1,037 |
| E. Harrison | Labour | 764 |
| C. Hunt | Lib/Sdp | 652 |
Belle Vue1 seat · turnout 46.7%
| C. Johnston | Labour | 1,050 |
| I. Ballantyne | Conservative | 681 |
| R. Gregory | Lib/Sdp | 310 |
Botcherby1 seat
| T. Bisland | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Burgh1 seat · turnout 46.5%
| N. Phillips | Conservative | 639 |
| L. Paisley | Labour | 177 |
Denton Holme1 seat · turnout 49.5%
| E. Martlew | Labour | 1,313 |
| P. Wilkowski | Conservative | 903 |
Harraby1 seat · turnout 43.5%
| H. Evans | Labour | 1,069 |
| T. Urwin | Lib/Sdp | 588 |
| B. Stevens | Conservative | 435 |
Irthing1 seat · turnout 40.6%
| J. Knapton | Conservative | 485 |
| S. Bowditch | Labour | 118 |
Lyne1 seat
| G. Phillips | Conservative | 0 ✓ |
Morton1 seat
| L. Eilbeck | Labour | 0 ✓ |
St. Aidans1 seat · turnout 47.8%
| E. Furneaux | Labour | 1,149 |
| M. Sunderland | Conservative | 974 |
Stanwix Rural1 seat
| H. Crowe | Conservative | 0 ✓ |
Stanwix Urban1 seat
| J. Robinson | Conservative | 0 ✓ |
Trinity1 seat · turnout 53.5%
| R. Aldersey | Lib/Sdp | 1,543 |
| I. Aitken | Labour | 740 |
Upperby1 seat · turnout 37.7%
| W. McMillan | Labour | 1,314 |
| D. Parsons | Conservative | 399 |
Yewdale1 seat · turnout 45.4%
| H. Gallagher | Labour | 1,100 |
| M. Harrison | Conservative | 907 |
| H. Martin | Lib/Sdp | 561 |
