Cheshire East councillors’ allowances and expenses cost the taxpayer more than £1.3m last year.

Figures obtained by the Express reveal £92,117 was claimed in travel expenses and £354,448 in special responsibilities on committees and cabinet positions.

Macclesfield’s 21 elected councillors received more than £300,000 in total.

Top claimant was Prestbury councillor Paul Findlow, until recently cabinet member for children and families, who received £26,466 including a £14,000 special responsibility payment.

The next highest were Broken Cross councillor and Lib Dem Group leader Ainsley Arnold and Poynton councillors Howard Murray and Roger West, who all received more than £20,000, including special responsibility payments of £7,280.

Macclesfield’s lowest among its seven wards were Marc Asquith, Darryl Beckford and Thelma Jackson who claimed nothing except the basic allowance of £11,199 for all councillors.

For a fuller breakdown of all 21 and what they claimed, visit menmedia.co.uk/macclesfieldexpress/news.

Payments cover CEC’s first 12 months as a local authority, up until March 2010, and include all 81 elected councillors across 27 wards.

Council leader Wesley Fitzgerald received £45,255, including £27,999 as leader.

He defended the total bill, but predicted the amounts claimed would fall in 2011.

"We have been setting up a new council," he said. "It is the third largest authority in the north west and the fourth or fifth in the north. We didn’t spend in a profligate manner.

"All money I claimed was on rail fares or petrol. It is a requirement to go standard class now. If the figure is sensational in some people’s eyes then I tell you – it was hard work.

"We are making every effort to preserve the public purse."

Among the expenses councillors can claim for are rail tickets, mileage, meals when working for more than four hours, telephone line rental, childcare and printer cartridges.

Councillors’ allowances and expenses are due to be published on CEC’s website very soon according to a spokesman.

HERE is a breakdown of expenses claimed by Macclesfield's 21 Cheshire East councillors across seven wards during the local authority's first year (April 2009-March 2010):

Ainsley Arnold (Broken Cross)

  • £7,280.04 special responsibility payment
  • £1,730.32 on travel
  • £190.10 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £20,400

Marc Asquith (Macclesfield Forest)

  • No special responsibilities
  • 0 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,199

Chris Beard (Poynton)

  • £1,680 special responsibility payment
  • £704.38 on travel
  • 70p on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £13,585

Darryl Beckford (Macclesfield West)

  • No special responsibilities
  • 0 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,199

Sandra Bentley (Macclesfield West)

  • £7,280.04 special responsibility payment
  • £345.36 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £18,825

Stephen Broadhurst (Macclesfield Town)

  • No special responsibilities
  • £78.13 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,278

Harold Davenport (Bollington and Disley)

  • £3,366.04 special responsibility payment
  • £3,054.43 on travel
  • £7.20 on general expenses
  • £215.79 on subsistence
  • Total: £17,843

Matthew Davies (Bollington and Disley)

  • No special responsibilities
  • £79.40 on travel
  • £82.90 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,362

Paul Findlow (Prestbury and Tytherington)

  • £14,004 special responsibility payment
  • £1,205.61 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • £61.31 on subsistence
  • Total: £26,466

Hilda Gaddum (Macclesfield Forest)

  • £7,280.04 special responsibility payment
  • £772.40 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £119,252

John Goddard (Broken Cross)

  • No special responsibilities
  • £784.30 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,984

Martin Hardy (Macclesfield West)

  • £2,460 special responsibility payment
  • £337.16 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £13,997

Thelma Jackson (Prestbury and Tytherington)*

  • Received a small allowance as Macclesfield's mayor last year.
  • No special responsibilities
  • 0 on travel
  • 0 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £11,199

Bill Livesley (Prestbury and Tytherington)

  • No special responsibilities
  • £1,287.31 on travel
  • £5.80 on general expenses
  • £39.20 on subsistence
  • Total: £12,532

Howard Murray (Poynton)

  • £7,280.04 special responsibility payment
  • £2,025.09 on travel
  • £38.30 on general expenses
  • £16 on subsistence
  • Total: £20,559

John Narraway (Broken Cross)

  • £2,460 special responsibility payment
  • £1,363.18 on travel
  • £232.10 on general expenses
  • £41 on subsistence
  • Total: £15,296

David Neilson (Macclesfield Town)

  • £2,460 special responsibility payment
  • £1,637.74 on travel
  • £43.10 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £17,843

Lesley Smetham (Macclesfield Forest)

  • £4,800 special responsibility payment
  • £1,577.33 on travel
  • £40.15 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £17,617

Diana Thompson (Bollington and Disley)

  • £373 special responsibility payment
  • £1,896.63 on travel
  • £81.99 on general expenses
  • £18.35 on subsistence
  • Total: £13,569

Christine Tomlinson (Macclesfield Town)

  • No special responsibilities
  • £1,134.72 on travel
  • £68.40 on general expenses
  • 0 on subsistence
  • Total: £12,403

Roger West (Poynton)

  • £7,280.04 special responsibility payment
  • £1,747.13 on travel
  • £228.20 on general expenses
  • £26.50 on subsistence
  • Total: £17,843