Before (end of 1987) (53 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 40 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 5 · Conservative 5 · Other 3
After (end of 1988) (53 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 40 · Liberal Democrats 5 · Conservative 5 · Other 3
Ward results
Barclay1 seat · turnout 36.3%
| P. Bilham | Labour | 1,085 |
| G. Mallett | Conservative | 228 |
Brunshaw1 seat · turnout 43.6%
| J. Heyes | Labour | 1,298 |
| J. Johnson | Conservative | 278 |
| S. Dacey | SLD | 120 |
Burnley Wood1 seat · turnout 42.6%
| N Miah | Labour | 506 ✓ |
| R. Butterworth | Ind LIB | 410 |
| D Tierney | Conservative | 184 |
| P. Hornby | Green | 151 |
| G. Kirkham | SLD | 88 |
Calder1 seat
| L. Harrison | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Coal Clough1 seat · turnout 37.5%
| H. McCormack | Labour | 690 ✓ |
| F Allanson | Conservative | 381 |
| P. Massey | SLD | 46 |
| D. Brotherton | Ind LIB | 27 |
Daneshouse1 seat · turnout 35.4%
| F. Booth | Labour | 976 |
| D. Embra | SLD | 234 |
Fulledge1 seat · turnout 44.4%
| L. Clark | Labour | 833 |
| G. Williams | Ind LIB | 551 |
| M. Booth | SLD | 47 |
Gawthorpe1 seat · turnout 41.9%
| E. Ingham | Labour | 999 ✓ |
| J. Pickup | Conservative | 344 |
| B. Andrews | Ind LIB | 117 |
| S. Pilkington | SLD | 61 |
Heasandford1 seat · turnout 47.3%
| I. Cooney | Labour | 1,393 |
| C. Holden | Conservative | 290 |
| R. Palmer | SLD | 114 |
Lanehead1 seat · turnout 40.5%
| M. Fleming-Cooney | Labour | 1,019 |
| P. Danks | Conservative | 680 |
| H. Pugh | SLD | 128 |
Lowerhouse1 seat · turnout 46.3%
| J. Keller | Labour | 996 ✓ |
| G. Dickens | Conservative | 508 |
| S. Anderson | Ind LIB | 50 |
| M. Kirkham | SLD | 48 |
Park1 seat · turnout 49.0%
| T. Sutcliffe | Labour | 857 |
| K. Kirkham | SLD | 392 |
| M. Totten | Ind LIB | 292 |
Queensgate1 seat · turnout 47.6%
| M. Najib | Labour | 605 ✓ |
| D. Pickup | Conservative | 376 |
| A. Sunderland | Ind LIB | 373 |
| B. Pilkington | SLD | 367 |
Rosehill1 seat · turnout 46.7%
| P. Smith | Labour | 635 ✓ |
| T. Spruce | Conservative | 616 |
| V. Clark | SLD | 490 |
| N. Walsh | Ind LIB | 86 |
Trinity1 seat · turnout 40.9%
| K. Reade | Labour | 801 |
| O. Williams | Conservative | 210 |
| S. Kirkham | SLD | 92 |
Whittlefield2 seats · turnout 52.7%
| R. Robinson | Conservative | 1,267 |
| K. Berry | Conservative | 944 |
| P Tierney | Labour | 739 |
| T. Shah | Labour | 529 |
| P. Bradshaw | SLD | 455 |
| M. Tate | Ind Con | 443 |
Worsthorne1 seat · turnout 47.6%
| G. Halstead | Conservative | 474 ✓ |
| J. Keene | Labour | 325 |
| J. Jewitt | Ind LIB | 175 |
| J. Taylor | SLD | 152 |