Britain's most prolific housebuilder Sir Lawrie Barratt (pictured) has died at his home in Northumberland, aged 85.
The property tycoon, who knighted in 1982, founded Barratt Developments which have developed a wide range of new homes across the UK providing much needed housing for hundreds of thousands of families.
The businessman, who lived in Corbridge with his wife, trained as an accountant after leaving school.
Barratt chief executive Mark Clare said in statement: "He [Sir Lawrie Barratt] had the vision to understand how deeply rooted the desire for home ownership is within this country and he then set out to meet that aspiration by designing and building high-quality, affordable homes."
The first Barratt company was established in 1958 in Newcastle upon Tyne and then grew steadily, establishing the roots that were to support its future growth.
The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1968 and in 1972 a programme of rapid expansion was launched through a series of acquisitions and the creation of new companies.