Before (end of 1997) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 35 · Liberal Democrats 24 · Other 1 · Conservative 0
After (end of 1998) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 36 · Liberal Democrats 23 · Other 1 · Conservative 0
Ward results
Alexandra1 seat · turnout 23.6%
| Ball G. | Labour | 1,075 ✓ |
| D Stanton | Liberal Democrats | 366 |
| K Whitehead | Conservative | 281 |
Chadderton Central1 seat · turnout 24.4%
| J. Greenwood | Labour | 1,104 ✓ |
| M. Curran | Conservative | 507 |
| J. Mercer | Liberal Democrats | 449 |
Chadderton North1 seat · turnout 26.8%
| B. Hurst | Labour | 988 ✓ |
| J. Curran | Conservative | 890 |
| M. Pendlebury | Liberal Democrats | 216 |
Chadderton South1 seat · turnout 23.4%
| D Hibbert | Labour | 1,200 ✓ |
| E Bennett | Conservative | 285 |
| D. Fennell | Liberal Democrats | 254 |
Coldhurst1 seat · turnout 42.2%
| Abdul Jabbar | Labour | 1,883 ✓ |
| D Marrington | Liberal Democrats | 1,104 |
| D Hitchen | Conservative | 244 |
Crompton1 seat · turnout 30.7%
| A. Dillon | Liberal Democrats | 1,616 ✓ |
| P McAndrew | Labour | 519 |
| D. Dunning | Conservative | 478 |
Failsworth East1 seat · turnout 21.4%
| G Currie | Labour | 1,132 ✓ |
| Catherine Glover | Liberal Democrats | 395 |
| A McKecknie | Ind Lab | 129 |
| P Edwards | Ind Lab | 103 |
Failsworth West1 seat · turnout 22.6%
| A Harrison | Labour | 1,313 ✓ |
| D Mather | Liberal Democrats | 368 |
Hollinwood1 seat · turnout 35.5%
| D Joynes | Liberal Democrats | 1,234 ✓ |
| H. Proctor | Labour | 1,030 |
| J. Gilmour | Ind Con | 49 |
Lees1 seat · turnout 34.8%
| E. Ritchie | Liberal Democrats | 1,372 ✓ |
| J. Fitzpatrick | Labour | 949 |
| L Helstrip | Conservative | 215 |
Royton North1 seat · turnout 26.7%
| B Judge | Labour | 1,326 ✓ |
| B. Jackson | Conservative | 622 |
| P. Renold | Liberal Democrats | 303 |
Royton South1 seat · turnout 27.9%
| J. Heap | Labour | 924 ✓ |
| J. Farquhar | Conservative | 723 |
| J Nield | Liberal Democrats | 603 |
Saddleworth East1 seat · turnout 40.5%
| R. Knowles | Liberal Democrats | 2,393 ✓ |
| J Hudson | Conservative | 1,282 |
| A Ur-Rehman | Labour | 471 |
Saddleworth West1 seat · turnout 34.1%
| Lord B. | Liberal Democrats | 1,475 ✓ |
| Schofield J. | Labour | 820 |
| E. Boon | Conservative | 714 |
Shaw1 seat · turnout 30.4%
| A. Griffiths | Liberal Democrats | 1,692 ✓ |
| R Mallinson | Labour | 411 |
| P. Bowling | Conservative | 319 |
St James'1 seat · turnout 32.2%
| Jacqueline McArdle | Liberal Democrats | 1,301 ✓ |
| D. Jones | Labour | 513 |
| Allsopp N. | Conservative | 95 |
St Mary's1 seat
| P Siddall | Labour | 1,070 ✓ |
| S Roz | Liberal Democrats | 1,060 |
| D. Atherton | Conservative | 294 |
St Pauls1 seat · turnout 31.6%
| K. Roney | Labour | 1,152 ✓ |
| C Shyne | Conservative | 835 |
| J McCann | Liberal Democrats | 411 |
Waterhead1 seat · turnout 30.1%
| C. Dugdale | Liberal Democrats | 1,727 ✓ |
| B Fletcher | Labour | 818 |
| C Hayes | Conservative | 176 |
Werneth1 seat · turnout 43.3%
| A Quayum | Labour | 1,730 ✓ |
| Pendlebury K. | Liberal Democrats | 1,139 |
| R. Walmsley | Conservative | 161 |
| B. Longden | LIB | 93 |
| H Edwards | Ind Con | 47 |