Before (end of 2002) (49 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 42 · Other 4 · Liberal Democrats 3 · Conservative 0
After (end of 2003) (50 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 35 · Liberal Democrats 7 · Other 7 · Conservative 1
Ward results
Bishop Middleham & Cornforth2 seats
| A. Hodgson | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Byerley2 seats · turnout 49.0%
| James Garry Huntington | Liberal Democrats | 1,033 ✓ |
| Gareth Howe | Liberal Democrats | 865 ✓ |
| Vernon Chapman | Labour | 387 |
| Jackie Bowman | Labour | 316 |
Ferryhill3 seats
| J Higgin | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| K. Conroy | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| R Patchett | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Fishburn and Old Trimdon3 seats
| J. Burton | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Greenfield Middridge3 seats · turnout 64.8%
| Vincent Crosby | Labour | 848 ✓ |
| Brenda Hall | Labour | 799 ✓ |
| June Croft | Independent | 551 ✓ |
| Gloria Wills | Labour | 545 |
| Kathy Cox | Independent | 518 |
| T Paylor | Independent | 510 |
| Andrew Gray | Labour | 1,193 ✓ |
| Aidan Smith | Labour | 1,130 ✓ |
| John Khan | Labour | 1,033 ✓ |
| A Roxby | Liberal Democrats | 884 |
Middlestone3 seats · turnout 35.6%
| Kenneth William Thompson | Liberal Democrats | 1,022 ✓ |
| William Waters | Labour | 919 ✓ |
| Christine Sproat | Liberal Democrats | 888 ✓ |
| Chris Kennedy | Labour | 840 |
| Amanda Hawkes | Labour | 741 |
Neville and Simpasture3 seats · turnout 29.1%
| John Moran | Labour | 1,021 ✓ |
| W Blenkinsopp | Labour | 993 ✓ |
| J Piggott | Labour | 975 ✓ |
| Julia Thornton | BNP | 229 |
| L. Hovvels | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Sedgefield3 seats
| J Wayman | Independent | 1,209 ✓ |
| J Robinson | Labour | 1,024 ✓ |
| D. Brown | Conservative | 987 ✓ |
| L. Byrne | Labour | 979 |
| P. Waller | Conservative | 936 |
| M. Robinson | Labour | 861 |
Shafto St Marys3 seats · turnout 32.7%
| Angela Fleming | Labour | 866 ✓ |
| Robert Fleming | Labour | 849 ✓ |
| Malcolm Iveson | Labour | 822 ✓ |
| Andy Palmer | Independent | 604 |
| L Cuthbertson | Independent | 541 |
| D Dobson | Independent | 521 |
Spennymoor3 seats
| B. Ord | Liberal Democrats | 1,207 ✓ |
| M. Jones | Liberal Democrats | 907 ✓ |
| G. Scott | Liberal Democrats | 869 ✓ |
| A. Mumford | Labour | 768 |
| J Plews | Labour | 633 |
| J Parkin | Labour | 519 |
Sunnydale2 seats · turnout 50.0%
| Iain A Smith | Independent | 930 ✓ |
| Leisa Smith | Independent | 863 ✓ |
| Adam Walker | Labour | 538 |
| James Younghusband | Labour | 456 |
Thickley2 seats · turnout 50.5%
| David Hancock | Independent | 968 ✓ |
| John Smith | Independent | 737 ✓ |
| Brian Stephens | Labour | 516 |
| F Timmiss | Labour | 381 |
| J Thorton-Browne | BNP | 84 |
Tudhoe2 seats
| B. Graham | Labour | 804 ✓ |
| Alexander Armstrong | Labour | 790 ✓ |
| Margaret Gordon | Liberal Democrats | 351 |
| M Miller | Conservative | 243 |
West3 seats · turnout 33.0%
| Gary Gray | Labour | 723 ✓ |
| Enid Paylor | Independent | 707 ✓ |
| M Dalton | Labour | 683 ✓ |
| M Crabtree | Independent | 666 |
| Millie Dolores Gray | Labour | 638 |
| Leonard Atkinson | Independent | 615 |
Woodham3 seats
| A Gray | Labour | 995 ✓ |
| K Henderson | Labour | 796 ✓ |
| B. Clare | Labour | 740 ✓ |
| S. Haigh | Independent | 470 |
| M Cannings | Independent | 362 |
| G Crass | Conservative | 327 |
| A. Jewkes | Independent | 324 |