A LEADING Enfield Conservative has laid into Barnet Council over its pursuit of the Pinkham Way waste plant.

Councillor Mike Rye launched the outspoken attack on his Tory colleagues from the neighbouring borough during a Wednesday night debate on the proposed plans for the New Southgate site.

He said: “Barnet are a law unto themselves – remember the easyCouncil – the idea they are going to listen to objections from us is unlikely.

“They always put themselves first and suit themselves, and it is regrettable they are trying to cram all their vehicles in there.”

Cllr Rye, who led the Conservative administration on Enfield Council until 2010, was defending his group's actions over the Pinkham Way site.

He said they opposed the idea of more waste being dealt with in Enfield, but slammed the approach of members and officials from the North London Waste Authority as “extremely disappointing”.

He said: “They tried to intimidate us to sign up to a PFI deal and the North London Waste Plan.

“They didn't like me, I was seen as the awkward squad.”

He continued: “Their behaviour was way beyond the pale. We were not in control and being bullied because we were in a minority.

“It was unprofessional for adults to be behaving in the way they were behaving.”

The Conservative group in Enfield say they are outright opposed to the Pinkham Way plan, and call for the “sequential test” to be applied when looking at new waste management sites.

Labour councillors on Enfield have accused their Tory colleagues of not doing enough to block Pinkham Way, and believe the sequential test will ultimately mean expansion of the Edmonton incinerator site.