Sir Lawrie Barratt, founder of housebuilder Barratt, has died.<br> <br> Sir Lawrie, who was 85, was one of the most influential figures in the history of housebuilding. Hailing from the north east of England, he left school at 14 and trained as an accountant, moving on to establish Barratt Developments in 1958.<br> <br> As chairman and ceo, he expanded the company to become one of the largest and most well-known housebuilders in the UK. He was knighted in 1982.<br> <br> Sir Lawrie retired in 1988, but came out of retirement three years later to resume his role as chairman. He retired once more in 1997.