| Election Name: | 1996 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Country: | England |
| Flag Image: | Coat_of_arms_of_Trafford_Metropolitan_Borough_Council.png |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1995 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1995 |
| Next Election: | 1998 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| Seats For Election: | 21 of 63 seats to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Majority Seats: | 32 |
| 3Blank: | Swing (pp)--> |
| Leader of the Council | |
| Before Election: | Beverley Hughes |
| Before Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Posttitle: | Leader of the Council after election |
| After Election: | Beverley Hughes |
| After Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 29 |
| Seats1: | 10 |
| Seats After1: | 35 |
| Popular Vote1: | 28,366 |
| Percentage1: | 43.9% |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 29 |
| Seats2: | 10 |
| Seats After2: | 23 |
| Popular Vote2: | 26,390 |
| Percentage2: | 40.8% |
| Party3: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats Before3: | 5 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seats After3: | 5 |
| Popular Vote3: | 9,344 |
| Percentage3: | 14.5% |
Elections to Trafford Council were held on 2 May 1996. One-third of the council was up for election, with each successful candidate to serve a four-year term of office, expiring in 2000. The Labour Party gained overall control of the council, from no overall control.[1]
| Party | Votes | Seats | Full Council | |||||||
| Labour Party | 28,366 (43.9%) | 2.5 | 10 (47.6%) | 6 | 35 (55.6%) | |||||
| Conservative Party | 26,390 (40.8%) | 2.2 | 10 (47.6%) | 6 | 23 (36.5%) | |||||
| Liberal Democrats | 9,344 (14.5%) | 1.1 | 1 (4.8%) | 5 (7.9%) | ||||||
| Independent | 550 (0.9%) | 0.7 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||||||
| 35 | 5 | 23 |