COUNCIL chiefs may be asked to strengthen fire safety measures at East Renfrewshire schools following a consultation prompted by the Grenfell disaster.

Six school buildings in the local area, including the new Barrhead High, have cladding similar to that used on the London tower block in which 72 people lost their lives.

When the issue was first raised last year, East Renfrewshire Council allayed concerns, saying the buildings complied with all safety standards and none were above 18 metres high – the point at which Scotland’s fire safety regulations become more stringent.

Under current Scottish building regulations, the type of material reported to have been used on Grenfell should not be used in cladding on high-rise domestic properties but can be used “appropriately” on other buildings.

However, a panel reviewing fire safety for the Scottish Government, led by Dr Paul Stollard, has recommended tightening rules around cladding in the wake of the tragedy.

This would see tougher fire safety requirements kicking in for buildings above 11m, instead of the current 18m, with potential consequences for Barrhead High, Eastwood High, Woodfarm High, Williamwood High, Mearns Castle High and the joint faith St Claire’s/Calderwood Lodge campus in Newton Mearns.

The advice has been included in a new consultation on tougher building safety standards, launched by the Scottish Government.

Kevin Stewart, minister for local government, housing and planning, said: “The fire safety of our buildings is crucial, especially where buildings are people’s homes or serve a highly valued public purpose, such as our schools and hospitals.”

Dr Stollard added: “Scotland has for years prohibited the use of the most combustible cladding materials.

“Our recommendations suggest ways of strengthening these controls while ensuring that innovation is still possible, providing it is carefully checked by competent authorities.”

A council spokesperson said: “We take the safety of all our buildings extremely seriously and, following the tragic event at Grenfell, we assessed all authority-owned buildings, including schools, residential properties and public buildings.

“We have compared our buildings to the construction risk factors that have been identified at Grenfell and have not identified any cause for concern with any of our properties’ cladding.

“We will respond to this latest consultation from the Scottish Government as a priority.

“In the event that new recommendations and policy result from this consultation, we will respond appropriately to ensure all our buildings continue to comply with the most up-to-date and relevant guidance.”