Before (end of 1987) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 19 · Conservative 17 · Other 0 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 0
After (end of 1988) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 22 · Conservative 14 · Liberal Democrats 0 · Other 0
Ward results
Cribden1 seat
| D. Hancock | Labour | 1,186 |
| J. McGowan | Conservative | 1,091 |
| D. Goode | SLD | 333 |
Facit And Shawforth1 seat
| S. Williams | Labour | 529 |
| N. Walton | Conservative | 515 |
| K. White | SLD | 106 |
Greenfield1 seat
| D. Ramsden | Conservative | 1,053 |
| W. Banks | Labour | 1,035 |
| C. Butler | Independent | 62 |
Greensclough1 seat
| D. Baron | Labour | 744 |
| A. Neville | Conservative | 672 |
| M. Carr | SLD | 449 |
Hareholme1 seat
| G. Pearson | Labour | 1,103 |
| T. Parker | Conservative | 1,062 |
| H. Malley | COMM | 65 |
Irwell1 seat
| G. Smith | Conservative | 960 |
| A. Monaghan | Labour | 757 |
| P. Navin | Independent | 450 |
Longholme1 seat
| A. Fishwick | Labour | 1,210 |
| E. Graham | Conservative | 826 |
Stacksteads1 seat
| J. Mortimer | Labour | 1,154 |
| A. Knight | Conservative | 693 |