As per the election cycle, one third of the council's 99 seats were up for election. This followed the re-election of all of the 99 council seats in the 2018 all-out council election. It had resulted from an electoral wardboundary review and saw the election of three councillors for each of the 33 electoral wards and their new ward boundaries. The third-placed candidate elected in every ward was granted a single year term and their seats are up for election this year.
Elected councillors were granted the usual four-year term until 2023 in order to return to the typical election cycle of elections in three of every four years.[2][3]
The Labour Party maintained their majority control of the council despite losing four seats, also retaining their one Calverley and Farsley councillor by 27 votes.
Since vacating his seat at the 2018 Election to stand for Morley South ward, Robert Finnigan was re-elected to the council whilst incumbent MBI councillor Tom Leadley stood in Ardsley & Robin Hood ward.