HOUSING bosses say Kilwinning residents have nothing to fear over cladding in their homes after a fire investigation found “no concerns”.

Fears were raised among Pennyburn residents over the safety of cladding in almost 500 Pennyburn homes after a blaze ripped through a pensioner’s house last month.

In documents seen by the Times, fire officers said that the blaze at Kelburne Square last month saw fire “travelling beyond reasonable expectation within inner materials”.

The blaze was allegedly started deliberately after bins and a mattress were left at the side of the house and were set alight.

The flames licked up the side of the house before taking hold of the roof cladding which bubbled and fell off in giant lumps causing concerns that the material may have helped accelerate the fire.

However Irvine Housing Association say Scottish Fire and Rescue Chiefs met with North Ayrshire Council’s Building Standards and presented a report which says there are “no concerns regarding the External Wall Insulation and does not attribute any aspect of the fire to this system.”

A spokeswoman for Irvine Housing Groups said: “Following a fire at a property on Kelburne Square, Pennyburn on November 23, some concerns have been expressed locally regarding the external wall insulation at the property itself and others on the Pennyburn estate, which have had the same insulation installed.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has completed a Fire Incident Report, which it shared last week (December, 11) with North Ayrshire Council Building Standards Service and Irvine Housing Association.

“The report does not highlight any concerns regarding the External Wall Insulation and does not attribute any aspect of the fire to this system.

“North Ayrshire Council has further confirmed that the property affected and the neighbouring properties have the appropriate building warrant permission and completion certificates in place which meet the standards required nationally by Scottish building regulations, and the External Wall Insulation materials performed as expected in a fire of this nature.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “The initial document was a preliminary assessment and therefore subject to change in line with the findings of an official fire investigation based on an appraisal of the full facts and circumstances.”