The chairman of West Sussex County Council has defended a rise in the cost of pay and expenses for its 71 members.

Margaret Johnson topped the list of council claims totalling £820,838 in 2001-02 compared with £534,059 the previous year.

Councillor Johnson, of Lindfield, in Mid Sussex, was paid £28,884 in allowances and expenses.

She said: "People offer themselves for election with a strong wish to serve their community but the increasing time commitment required and the responsibilities they carry have meant it is no longer a role which they can be expected to undertake without some compensation."

The allowances were fixed for the council by an independent panel with every councillor receiving a basic £8,250, increased during the year from £5,000.

Councillors with top jobs such as Mrs Johnson and cabinet leader Councillor Harold Hall also receive special responsibility payments of £19,750.

There are also special allowances for councillors who chair select committees and serve as policy advisers to cabinet members.

The council says travelling expenses can be high for members facing a 100-mile round trip to County Hall, Chichester.

Coun Hall said councillors with special responsibilities were now working almost full-time in what he described as "a highly demanding occupation."

He said: "The county council is a big business with a budget of over £570 million, employing more than 23,000 staff to provide 85 per cent of all local government services to 750,000 people in West Sussex."

The allowances figures also include many former councillors whose claims ended when they lost their seats or retired from the council after the June 2001 elections but during the financial year on which the total figure is based.