Before (end of 1987) (43 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 21 · Conservative 19 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 2 · Other 1
After (end of 1988) (43 seats, Elections Centre)
Conservative 25 · Labour 14 · Other 3 · Liberal Democrats 1
Ward results
Belper East1 seat · turnout 45.0%
| R Wildsmith | Conservative | 1,192 |
| A. Broughton | Labour | 1,150 |
| R. Buzzard | SLD | 438 |
HEAGE & AMBERGATE1 seat · turnout 56.9%
| A. Wilde | Conservative | 1,248 |
| M. Kent | Labour | 943 |
Heanor & Loscoe1 seat · turnout 51.5%
| A. Cooper | Independent | 721 |
| Thornley S. | Labour | 657 |
| T. Marriott | Independent | 650 |
Heanor East1 seat · turnout 40.8%
| J. Thornley | Conservative | 895 |
| R Aistropp | Labour | 889 |
Ironville & Riddings1 seat · turnout 49.1%
| P. Adams | Conservative | 902 |
| T. Hartley | Labour | 867 |
| G. Cox | SLD | 292 |
Langley Mill & Aldercar1 seat · turnout 43.0%
| M. King | Labour | 895 |
| R. Burns | Independent | 763 |
Ripley2 seats · turnout 39.1%
| R Humphrey | Conservative | 1,505 |
| P. Parkin | Conservative | 1,454 |
| D. Neilson | Labour | 1,348 |
| J. Gregory | Labour | 1,168 |
Ripley & Marehay1 seat · turnout 51.7%
| G. Carlile | Labour | 1,205 |
| T. Barratt | Conservative | 1,012 |
SOMERCOTES1 seat · turnout 46.8%
| A. Stringer | Labour | 919 |
| G. Brown | Conservative | 745 |
| T. Rimmington | SLD | 373 |
