Before (end of 2007) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Liberal Democrats 32 · Labour 20 · Conservative 8 · Other 0
After (end of 2008) (60 seats, Elections Centre)
Liberal Democrats 33 · Labour 19 · Conservative 8 · Other 0
Ward results
Balderstone & Kirkholt1 seat
| Patricia Colclough | Liberal Democrats | 821 ✓ |
| Darren Pedley | Labour | 760 |
| Ian Duckworth | Conservative | 658 |
Bamford1 seat · turnout 41.3%
| Jane Gartside | Conservative | 1,766 ✓ |
| Mohammed Shafiq | Liberal Democrats | 988 |
| Ben Robertson | Labour | 388 |
Castleton1 seat · turnout 32.8%
| Patricia Flynn | Liberal Democrats | 1,386 ✓ |
| Jean Gladys Hornby | Labour | 637 |
| Ronnie Crossley | Conservative | 467 |
Central Rochdale1 seat · turnout 47.2%
| Zulfiqar Ali | Liberal Democrats | 1,869 ✓ |
| Daalat Ali | Labour | 1,422 |
| Roger Howarth | Conservative | 309 |
East Middleton1 seat · turnout 27.3%
| Malcolm Boriss | Labour | 1,030 ✓ |
| John Cardus | Conservative | 625 |
| Irene Cooper | Liberal Democrats | 492 |
Healey1 seat · turnout 33.9%
| Tom Bailey | Liberal Democrats | 1,214 ✓ |
| Andrew Neilson | Conservative | 920 |
| Phillip Bethell | Labour | 525 |
Hopwood Hall1 seat · turnout 30.4%
| Linda Robinson | Labour | 1,325 ✓ |
| Ken Taylor | Conservative | 761 |
| Harry Boota | Liberal Democrats | 382 |
Kingsway1 seat · turnout 33.9%
| David Clayton | Liberal Democrats | 1,245 ✓ |
| Thomas Stott | Labour | 1,116 |
| Philip Grantham | Conservative | 314 |
Littleborough Lakeside1 seat · turnout 30.7%
| Peter Reginald Evans | Liberal Democrats | 1,086 ✓ |
| Andrew Jones | Conservative | 1,001 |
| Jon Hartley | Labour | 335 |
Milkstone & Deeplish1 seat · turnout 45.7%
| Mohammed Sharif | Liberal Democrats | 1,872 ✓ |
| Ghulam Shazad | Labour | 796 |
| Javed Iqbal | Independent | 637 |
| Susan Pawson | Conservative | 178 |
Milnrow & Newhey1 seat · turnout 32.0%
| Irene Davidson | Liberal Democrats | 1,193 ✓ |
| Michael Butler | Conservative | 663 |
| Debbie Abrahams | Labour | 620 |
Norden1 seat · turnout 40.4%
| James Gartside | Conservative | 1,450 ✓ |
| Hilary Rodgers | Liberal Democrats | 874 |
| Peter Greenwood | BNP | 421 |
| Anthony Bennett | Labour | 278 |
North Heywood1 seat · turnout 28.4%
| Malcolm Bruce | Liberal Democrats | 936 ✓ |
| Susan Coates | Labour | 799 |
| Darren Bayman | Conservative | 353 |
North Middleton1 seat · turnout 22.3%
| Maureen Rowbotham | Labour | 746 ✓ |
| D Harris | Conservative | 537 |
| Rhoda Morley | Liberal Democrats | 481 |
Smallbridge & Firgrove1 seat
| Jean Ashworth | Liberal Democrats | 1,053 ✓ |
| Amna Mir | Labour | 841 |
| Leonard Branton | Conservative | 412 |
South Middleton1 seat · turnout 38.2%
| Teresa Fitzsimons | Conservative | 1,713 ✓ |
| John Orford | Labour | 993 |
| Neil Lever | Liberal Democrats | 228 |
Spotland & Falinge1 seat · turnout 36.5%
| Barbara Todd | Liberal Democrats | 1,304 ✓ |
| Surinder Biant | Labour | 1,151 |
| Steven Scholes | Conservative | 452 |
Wardle and West Littleborough1 seat · turnout 36.6%
| Ashley Dearnley | Conservative | 2,157 ✓ |
| Andy Kelly | Liberal Democrats | 264 |
| Mike Radanovic | Labour | 263 |
West Heywood1 seat · turnout 23.9%
| Colin Lambert | Labour | 1,087 ✓ |
| John Kershaw | Conservative | 541 |
| George Kinder | Liberal Democrats | 410 |
West Middleton1 seat · turnout 23.0%
| Lily Murphy | Labour | 997 ✓ |
| Terry Smith | Liberal Democrats | 474 |
| David Pawson | Conservative | 424 |