Councillors are "appalled" and "chilled" by the findings of a review on building regulations following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Cllr Trudy Dean (Lib Dem) and chairman of Kent and Medway fire and rescue authority Cllr Nick Chard (Cons) shared worries about the regulations for council houses, schools and care homes in the county at the Kent County Council policy cabinet committee today.

This comes after the high-level interim report by Dame Judith Hackitt found fire safety practice in the country is "not fit for purpose" and could be abused by companies to save money.

The Hackitt Review was ordered by the government following the death of 71 people in a fire at council-owned Grenfell Tower last June.

Since the tragedy, the safety of the doors, cladding and stairwells of the 24-storey building in North Kensington have been called into question by the Met police.

Kent County Council analysts have said that once the full Hackitt Report has been published, there will an investigation into KCC buildings, which could add strain on the local authority’s budget.

Cllr Dean said: “According to this report so many regulations have been found not clear and it’s chilling.

“How have we got to this state?

“This will relate to all buildings – not just high-rise – and it is going to have a huge effect on buildings in the county.”

Head of the fire and rescue authority, Cllr Chard, who met the author of the report at the building regulations and fire safety summit in January, told the council that as an engineer, Dame Hackitt is expected to provide a “technical” solution for the country in June.

In analysis for the Hackitt Report by KCC’s director of infrastructure, Rebecca Spore, there is a warning the council may have extra financial pressure to meet these higher standards.

Ms Spore wrote: “It is likely when combined with the emerging findings of the Hackitt Review there will be areas with the council where further assurance is required and KCC may need to further strengthen its approach.

“This will inevitably place greater strain on existing resources and budgets which may prove to be insufficient.”

Leader of the opposition, Cllr Rob Bird (Lib Dem), asked the council for assurance that the imminent safety audits will include “non-KCC” academies and free schools.

He said: “We are also responsible for all children in Kent, including those at non-KCC schools so we should be keeping those buildings to the same standards.”

Chairman of the meeting Cllr Bryan Sweetman said council officers will be in touch with these schools following the publication of the government report.