Before (end of 2002) (51 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 27 · Liberal Democrats 12 · Conservative 11 · Other 1
After (end of 2003) (51 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 25 · Liberal Democrats 13 · Conservative 12 · Other 1
Ward results
Abbey1 seat
| Bryan Lowe | Liberal Democrats | 1,283 ✓ |
| Michael Fuller | Labour | 791 |
| David Andrew William Hart | Conservative | 287 |
| Ronald McKeown | Independent | 85 |
Allestree1 seat
| Balbir Samra | Conservative | 2,132 ✓ |
| Roger Jackson | Liberal Democrats | 1,053 |
| D Byrne | Labour | 1,021 |
Alvaston1 seat
| Christopher Wynn | Labour | 1,231 ✓ |
| Adrian Pegg | Conservative | 536 |
| Trevlyn Atkinson | Independent | 417 |
| Cara Copestick | Liberal Democrats | 408 |
Arboretum1 seat
| Fareed Hussain | Labour | 1,168 ✓ |
| Lloyd Newby | Liberal Democrats | 595 |
| Shahid Mahmood | Conservative | 535 |
| Josephine Rooney | Independent | 309 |
Blagreaves1 seat
| Robert Troup | Liberal Democrats | 2,044 ✓ |
| Stephen Melvin | Labour | 911 |
| Janice Lee | Conservative | 537 |
| Andries Olivier | Independent | 61 |
Boulton1 seat
| Ron Allen | Independent | 1,316 ✓ |
| Mark Stuart Tittley | Labour | 1,123 |
| Sean Conway | Conservative | 521 |
| Eric Ashburner | Liberal Democrats | 186 |
Chaddesden1 seat
| Anne McDonald | Labour | 1,475 ✓ |
| Vincent Mills | Conservative | 973 |
| Leslie Alcock | Liberal Democrats | 448 |
| Brian Low | Independent | 102 |
Chellaston2 seats
| Ronald Liversedge | Conservative | 1,393 ✓ |
| Julie Hickson | Conservative | 1,274 ✓ |
| David Whitehead | Labour | 1,189 |
| Alan Mullarkey | Labour | 1,009 |
| David Black | Independent | 572 |
| Julia Slater | Independent | 396 |
| Christine Yates | Liberal Democrats | 290 |
| Joe Singh Naitta | Liberal Democrats | 195 |
Darley1 seat
| Joan Travis | Liberal Democrats | 1,406 ✓ |
| Michael Futers | Labour | 973 |
| Graham Else | Conservative | 876 |
| G Leeming | Independent | 101 |
Derwent1 seat
| Suman Gupta | Labour | 853 ✓ |
| Franklyn Harwood | Conservative | 719 |
| Rafe Nauen | Liberal Democrats | 233 |
| Mark Bull | Independent | 179 |
Littleover1 seat
| Mike Carr | Liberal Democrats | 2,298 ✓ |
| Mike Collins | Conservative | 803 |
| Peter Blount | Labour | 468 |
Mackworth1 seat
| V. Wilsoncraft | Labour | 1,104 ✓ |
| Elizabeth Waters | Conservative | 742 |
| Lorraine Brown | Liberal Democrats | 479 |
Mickleover2 seats
| Maggie Hird | Liberal Democrats | 2,558 ✓ |
| Marilyn Winter | Liberal Democrats | 2,516 ✓ |
| Virginia Lemmings | Conservative | 1,468 |
| Christine Pearn | Conservative | 1,449 |
| Lisa Higginbottom | Labour | 536 |
| Keith Normington | Labour | 427 |
| Ivor Cox | Independent | 96 |
Normanton1 seat
| Amar Nath | Labour | 1,351 ✓ |
| Sean Marshall | Liberal Democrats | 1,092 |
| Joan Magee | Conservative | 306 |
| Richard Bull | Independent | 89 |
Oakwood1 seat
| Paul Martin West | Conservative | 1,408 ✓ |
| Phillip Woodhead | Labour | 900 |
| Philip Clayden | Liberal Democrats | 392 |
Sinfin1 seat
| Prem Chera | Labour | 1,049 ✓ |
| Leslie Alcock | Liberal Democrats | 367 |
| Richard Pearn | Conservative | 282 |
| Mario Colella | Independent | 165 |
| Dorothy Skrytek | Independent | 90 |
Spondon1 seat
| Peter Berry | Conservative | 1,798 ✓ |
| Frank Kirkland | Labour | 1,007 |
| Patrick Peat | Liberal Democrats | 391 |
| William Peake | Independent | 135 |