Before (end of 2002) (61 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 53 · Liberal Democrats 4 · Conservative 2 · Other 2
After (end of 2003) (61 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 52 · Liberal Democrats 4 · Other 3 · Conservative 2
Ward results
Bearpark and Witton Gilbert3 seats
| Raymond Gibbon | Liberal Democrats | 830 ✓ |
| Arnold Simpson | Liberal Democrats | 767 ✓ |
| Fraser Reynolds | Liberal Democrats | 750 ✓ |
| Kevin McKechnie | Labour | 623 |
| David Bainbridge | Labour | 565 |
| Peter Robson | Labour | 517 |
| Michael Howarth | Independent | 400 |
| Patricia Wynne | Conservative | 143 |
Belmont2 seats
| Kathleen Atkinson | Liberal Democrats | 849 ✓ |
| Roger Pape | Liberal Democrats | 818 ✓ |
| Irene Lupton | Independent | 491 |
| Michael Bennett | Labour | 252 |
| Christopher Arthur | Conservative | 85 |
| Wendy Frances Smith | Conservative | 67 |
| Brancepeth Langley Moor | & Meadowfield | 0 |
| Marie Predki | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| Alan James Hodgson | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Blackhalls3 seats
| Rob Crute | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| Alphonsus Holmes | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| Peter Roland Ward | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Carrville and Gilesgate Moor3 seats
| Barbara Howarth | Liberal Democrats | 1,526 ✓ |
| John Harbron | Liberal Democrats | 1,287 ✓ |
| Dennis Southwell | Liberal Democrats | 1,225 ✓ |
| Joseph Knight | Labour | 521 |
| Stephen Laverick | Labour | 487 |
| Patricia Conway | Labour | 473 |
| James Clouston | — | 254 |
| Jean Middlemass | Independent | 228 |
| Robert West | — | 225 |
| Julia Aberdeen | — | 210 |
Cassop-cum-Quarrington3 seats
| Michael Syer | Labour | 838 ✓ |
| Margaret Elizabeth Robinson | Labour | 749 ✓ |
| George Marsden | Labour | 690 ✓ |
| Colin Metcalfe | Liberal Democrats | 657 |
| Carol Fitz-Gibbon | Liberal Democrats | 507 |
| Simon Key | Liberal Democrats | 444 |
Crossgate and Framwelgate3 seats
| James Holland | Liberal Democrats | 1,074 ✓ |
| Mary Hagwood | Liberal Democrats | 1,029 ✓ |
| Robert Wynn | Liberal Democrats | 966 ✓ |
| Jonathan Roberts | Labour | 335 |
| Michael Costello | — | 293 |
| Christopher Wynne | Conservative | 236 |
Deerness2 seats
| Eileen Rochford | Labour | 725 ✓ |
| David Cummings | Labour | 668 ✓ |
| Hilary Westwell | Liberal Democrats | 183 |
| Richard Hopkin | Liberal Democrats | 174 |
Elvet3 seats
| Susan Pitts | Liberal Democrats | 774 ✓ |
| Margaret Norman | Liberal Democrats | 705 ✓ |
| Nigel van Zwanenberg | Liberal Democrats | 658 ✓ |
| Lloyd Meadows | Labour | 241 |
| Jenifer Wakefield | Conservative | 219 |
Ferryhill3 seats
| Ron Patchett | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| Kevin Conroy | Labour | 0 ✓ |
| Jim Higgin | Labour | 0 ✓ |
Framwellgate Moor3 seats
| William Lodge | Independent | 741 ✓ |
| Neil Griffin | Labour | 693 ✓ |
| Terence Moderate | Independent | 595 ✓ |
| Daniel Burrows | Independent | 530 |
| John Lavery | Labour | 473 |
| Jonathan Pearce | Liberal Democrats | 466 |
| Geoffrey Cutting | Liberal Democrats | 465 |
| Peter Mahan | Labour | 381 |
| Farid Sakr | Liberal Democrats | 372 |
| Simon Carey | Independent | 237 |
Lanchester3 seats
| Colin Burton | Labour | 913 |
| Philip Stoddart | Labour | 849 ✓ |
| John Cowper | Labour | 758 ✓ |
| Deanne Bell | Labour | 728 ✓ |
| Gemma May Louise Moore | Liberal Democrats | 375 |
| Christine McGinn | Liberal Democrats | 302 |
| Joan Hindmarch | Liberal Democrats | 299 |
Newton Hall North2 seats
| George Hunter | Liberal Democrats | 932 ✓ |
| Frances Mamie Simmons | Liberal Democrats | 847 ✓ |
| Aurelia Smith | Labour | 231 |
Newton Hall South2 seats
| Brian Kinghorn | Liberal Democrats | 866 ✓ |
| Philip Wolstenholme | Liberal Democrats | 862 ✓ |
| Hugh Emmas-Williams | Labour | 241 |
Pelaw and Gilesgate3 seats
| Paul Leake | Liberal Democrats | 739 ✓ |
| William Graham | Liberal Democrats | 702 ✓ |
| Neil Shaw | Liberal Democrats | 660 ✓ |
| Margaret Davies | Labour | 641 |
| Cathrine Russell | Labour | 641 |
| Jerry Ranson | Labour | 632 |
Pittington and West Rainton2 seats
| Kate Carr | Labour | 543 ✓ |
| William Kellett | Labour | 513 ✓ |
| Joan Austin | Liberal Democrats | 403 |
| Brenda Tall | Liberal Democrats | 352 |
| Ian Fawcett | Independent | 301 |
Shadforth and Sherburn3 seats
| Carol Woods | Liberal Democrats | 1,117 ✓ |
| James Walton | Liberal Democrats | 1,025 ✓ |
| Fionna Davison | Liberal Democrats | 913 ✓ |
| John Bowman | Labour | 645 |
| James Turnbull | Labour | 495 |
| Keith Smith | Labour | 460 |
| Mildred Brown | Independent | 314 |
| Results | — | 0 |
Shincliffe1 seat
| John Lightley | Liberal Democrats | 525 ✓ |
| Timothy Blackman | Labour | 107 |
St Nicholas2 seats
| Michael Moverley | Conservative | 114 |
Tanfield3 seats
| Joseph Wilson | Labour | 1,155 ✓ |
| Olga Milburn | Labour | 1,002 ✓ |
| Thomas Henderson | Labour | 955 ✓ |
| Elizabeth Minto | — | 914 |
| Bryan Johnson | — | 811 |
| David Webster | Conservative | 0 ✓ |
Woodhouse Close3 seats
| June Lee | Labour | 950 ✓ |