Before (end of 1995) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 30 · Liberal Democrats 23 · Conservative 5 · Other 2
After (end of 1996) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 35 · Liberal Democrats 24 · Other 1 · Conservative 0
Ward results
Alexandra1 seat · turnout 28.0%
| M. Riley | Labour | 1,411 ✓ |
| D. Doyle | Liberal Democrats | 380 |
| K Whitehead | Conservative | 236 |
Chadderton Central1 seat · turnout 30.6%
| C Brownridge | Labour | 1,597 ✓ |
| J. Curran | Conservative | 551 |
| J. Mercer | Liberal Democrats | 453 |
Chadderton North1 seat · turnout 31.1%
| L Quinn | Labour | 1,351 ✓ |
| M. Curran | Conservative | 829 |
| J Ritchie | Liberal Democrats | 245 |
Chadderton South1 seat · turnout 30.9%
| D Heyes | Labour | 1,660 ✓ |
| E Bennett | Conservative | 321 |
| D. Shaw | Liberal Democrats | 301 |
Coldhurst1 seat · turnout 39.9%
| J Leyden | Labour | 1,864 ✓ |
| J Uddin | Liberal Democrats | 767 |
| G McDermott | Conservative | 310 |
Crompton1 seat · turnout 38.7%
| M Hambley | Liberal Democrats | 1,854 ✓ |
| D Holt | Labour | 966 |
| D. Dunning | Conservative | 479 |
Failsworth East1 seat · turnout 30.2%
| J. Battye | Labour | 1,786 ✓ |
| D Mather | Liberal Democrats | 336 |
| W Curran | Ind Con | 335 |
Failsworth West1 seat · turnout 30.0%
| J. Johnson | Labour | 1,894 ✓ |
| D. Fennell | Liberal Democrats | 413 |
Hollinwood1 seat · turnout 41.3%
| I Thompson | Labour | 1,546 ✓ |
| M. Taylor | Liberal Democrats | 1,098 |
| P Edwards | Ind Con | 95 |
Lees1 seat · turnout 44.5%
| V. Sedgwick | Liberal Democrats | 1,759 ✓ |
| J. Fitzpatrick | Labour | 1,288 |
| L Helstrip | Conservative | 204 |
Royton North1 seat · turnout 34.0%
| J Larkin | Labour | 1,762 ✓ |
| B. Jackson | Conservative | 741 |
| P. Renold | Liberal Democrats | 352 |
Royton South1 seat · turnout 37.3%
| P Harrison | Labour | 1,467 ✓ |
| J. Farquhar | Conservative | 807 |
| W Naylor | Liberal Democrats | 730 |
Saddleworth East1 seat · turnout 44.0%
| B. Mather | Liberal Democrats | 2,169 ✓ |
| J Hudson | Conservative | 1,365 |
| Louise Brown | Labour | 834 |
| R. Fielding | Independent | 52 |
Saddleworth West1 seat · turnout 42.0%
| C. Wheeler | Liberal Democrats | 1,878 ✓ |
| Schofield J. | Labour | 1,094 |
| E. Boon | Conservative | 689 |
St James'1 seat · turnout 41.4%
| R Hindle | Liberal Democrats | 1,353 ✓ |
| D. Jones | Labour | 922 |
| Allsopp N. | Conservative | 105 |
St Mary's1 seat
| N. Bennett | Labour | 1,737 ✓ |
| M Sharif | Liberal Democrats | 1,378 |
| D. Atherton | Conservative | 237 |
St Pauls1 seat · turnout 37.1%
| J. Crowther | Labour | 1,498 ✓ |
| C Shyne | Conservative | 768 |
| Howard Cohen | Liberal Democrats | 407 |
| J Smith | Ind Lab | 142 |
Waterhead1 seat · turnout 35.4%
| Kay Knox | Liberal Democrats | 2,008 ✓ |
| L. Chapman | Labour | 1,010 |
| R Postle | Conservative | 162 |
Werneth1 seat · turnout 43.6%
| Ahmad R. | Labour | 1,521 ✓ |
| F Rahim | Liberal Democrats | 1,148 |
| R. Walmsley | Conservative | 448 |