Campaigners have called more scrutiny of a waste authority after it scrapped controversial plans to build a huge waste plant.

The Pinkham Way Alliance wants more oversight over the North London Waste Authority (NWLA) which handles waste from seven local authorities, including Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

The authority had proposed to build a multi-million pound waste disposal facility in Pinkham Way, Bounds Green, as part of a £3billion, 30-year strategy.

But it announced last month it was putting its proposals for the Bounds Green development on hold.

The alliance claims the decision to scrap the plans was thanks to its efforts and said the authority’s “lack of accountability” is a weakness.

Alliance chairman Stephen Brice said: “The awareness of the need to take into account well-founded concerns and objections is not a necessary part of its culture.

“The alliance’s accurate and well-researched concerns, which have now come to pass, have been met with no more than condescension.

“The pattern of repeated and bombastic denials from the authority that anything was amiss, followed swiftly by humiliating implosion and U-turn, has vindicated our concerns.”

Mr Brice added: “While vindication is rewarding, why should we or any of the 1.7m residents in the NLWA councils be lumbered with a powerful and unaccountable public body which has so demonstrably and expensively failed?”

The NLWA has insisted the alliance had nothing to do with its U-turn over the plans.

It said the move came about after it identified an alternative strategy, which it claims will save £900million over the next three decades.

A spokesman from the waste authority denied claims that it was unaccountable.

He said: “The NLWA is a single purpose local authority, and is made up of two elected members from each of our constituent boroughs.

“Decisions on the actions of the authority are made by these members, who are appointed by the boroughs.

“To say that the authority is unaccountable is clearly incorrect, and the individual constituent boroughs are kept fully aware of all matters connected to the authority and its operations.

“We note Pinkham Way Alliance’s comments, but these have to be seen in the context of a desire not to see the Pinkham Way site developed for any purpose.”