Before (end of 2002) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 24 · Conservative 12 · Liberal Democrats 0 · Other 0
After (end of 2003) (36 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 18 · Conservative 17 · Liberal Democrats 1 · Other 0
Ward results
Cribden1 seat · turnout 30.1%
| Philip Neilson Young | Liberal Democrats | 285 ✓ |
| Hugh McCaw | Labour | 274 |
| Kenneth Slaughter | Conservative | 266 |
Facit And Shawforth1 seat · turnout 28.1%
| Hazel May Steen | Conservative | 422 ✓ |
| Teresa Aldred | Labour | 372 |
Greenfield2 seats · turnout 28.9%
| Peter Starkey | Conservative | 678 ✓ |
| Alison Tickner | Conservative | 644 ✓ |
| Catherine Long | Liberal Democrats | 540 |
| Dorothy Atkinson | Labour | 335 |
| Jennifer Shilliday | Labour | 236 |
Greensclough1 seat · turnout 29.9%
| William Challinor | Conservative | 693 ✓ |
| Bernadette O'Connor | Labour | 551 |
Hareholme1 seat · turnout 30.9%
| Trevor Unsworth | Labour | 661 ✓ |
| Susan Popland | Conservative | 650 |
Healey & Whitworth1 seat · turnout 26.5%
| Dawn Barnes | Conservative | 404 ✓ |
| Ronald Pickup | Labour | 338 |
Helmshore1 seat · turnout 31.5%
| Barry Pawson | Conservative | 694 ✓ |
| Stuart Brannigan | Labour | 473 |
| James Pilling | Liberal Democrats | 244 |
Irwell1 seat · turnout 27.2%
| Peter Steen | Conservative | 566 ✓ |
| William Pearson | Labour | 416 |
Longholme1 seat · turnout 27.0%
| Emily Haworth | Conservative | 559 ✓ |
| Denise Hancock | Labour | 551 |
Stacksteads1 seat
| Dale Connearn | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Whitewell1 seat · turnout 29.9%
| Amanda Robertson | Labour | 646 ✓ |
| Christopher Wadsworth | Conservative | 625 |
Worsley1 seat · turnout 27.5%
| Joyce Thorne | Conservative | 552 ✓ |
| Adrian Lythgoe | Labour | 395 |
| Paul Marx | Liberal Democrats | 230 |