Before (end of 1987) (44 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 23 · Conservative 20 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 1 · Other 0
After (end of 1988) (44 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 24 · Labour 20 · Liberal Democrats 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Abbey1 seat · turnout 40.6%
| M. Fuller | Labour | 1,945 ✓ |
| Susannah Hart | Conservative | 1,647 |
| J. Kaye | SLD | 139 |
| P Brock | Green | 101 |
Allestree1 seat · turnout 53.5%
| B. Chadwick | Conservative | 3,491 |
| B. Cox | Labour | 488 |
| H. Jones | SLD | 403 |
Alvaston1 seat · turnout 44.3%
| P. Fullarton | Conservative | 1,887 |
| G. Sweeting | Labour | 1,518 |
| H. Holbrook | SLD | 198 |
Babington1 seat · turnout 39.0%
| A. Kalia | Labour | 1,500 ✓ |
| A. Mohammad | Conservative | 866 |
| M. Burgess | SLD | 531 |
| K Dickenson | SDP | 106 |
| E. Wall | Green | 56 |
Blagreaves1 seat · turnout 52.7%
| D. Hogg | Conservative | 2,543 ✓ |
| C. Jordan | Labour | 1,244 |
| E. Blane | SLD | 176 |
| L. Barker | SDP | 165 |
| J. Billington | Green | 83 |
Boulton1 seat · turnout 49.9%
| K. Thompson | Conservative | 2,433 ✓ |
| C. Thrower | Labour | 1,659 |
| P. Harlow | SLD | 380 |
| D. Carrington | SDP | 216 |
Breadsall1 seat · turnout 43.8%
| G. Orton | Conservative | 2,788 |
| N. Wawman | Labour | 2,042 |
| S. Hartropp | SLD | 294 |
Chaddesden1 seat · turnout 48.9%
| G. Else | Conservative | 2,113 |
| Sara Bolton | Labour | 1,936 |
| L. Byrne | SLD | 236 |
Chellaston1 seat · turnout 52.3%
| K Brown | Conservative | 3,664 |
| J. Marshall | Labour | 1,072 |
| M. Essex | SLD | 220 |
Darley1 seat · turnout 49.0%
| C. Hulls | Conservative | 3,032 ✓ |
| J. Dickens | Labour | 1,114 |
| W. Webley | SLD | 313 |
| P. Seward | SDP | 161 |
Derwent2 seats · turnout 37.2%
| M. Repton | Labour | 1,522 ✓ |
| D. Hayes | Labour | 1,475 ✓ |
| C. Daniels | Conservative | 926 |
| C. James | Conservative | 883 |
| B. Benson | SLD | 270 |
| S. King | SLD | 268 |
| S. Smith | Independent | 85 |
Litchurch1 seat · turnout 33.4%
| M. Wood | Labour | 1,545 ✓ |
| B. Wayne | Conservative | 670 |
| R. Kahn | SLD | 272 |
| L. Brown | Independent | 98 |
Spondon1 seat · turnout 49.9%
| J. Leatherbarrow | Conservative | 3,360 ✓ |
| P. Taylor | Labour | 1,457 |
| D. Holbrook | SLD | 147 |
| P. Peat | SDP | 135 |
| L. Ludkiewicz | Green | 70 |