In the latest edition of our newsletter Aspects newsletter we have posted a property quiz question:

‘How many floors does the Shard have?’ to which we have had various answers ranging from 72 to 95 but the correct answer actually is 87 floors (we checked with the developers!).

Only six people answered correctly out of which the first three will be awarded with a case of champagne as promised!

Our lucky winners are:

Cathy Hyde from Ahli United Bank (UK) PLC

Mark Ouborg from Private Property Finance UK

Claire Dunning from Dragonfly Property Finance

Congratulations!

A National Audit Office study which said the HS2 rail link would not close the economic divide between the North and South, was rejected by business leaders.

Neil McLean, chairman of the Leeds City Region enterprise partnership, said the report failed to account for the wider economic benefits of HS2.

The high court has ruled a charity that broadcasts safety messages from empty commercial properties is not entitled to charitable relief.

In the high court today, Sales J found in favour of three local authorities in test cases involving the Public Safety Charitable Trust Limited (PSCT), which occupies 1,500 buildings across the UK offering free WiFi and broadcasting Bluetooth safety messages.

The ruling leaves the PSCT liable for £49,000 in respect of its offices at Marlborough Court in Milton Keynes, for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, and £35,000 in respect of its four sets of premises in Sawston and Linton in Cambridgeshire.

A further case has been referred back to Chester Magistrates' Court as issues of occupation and extent of use may require further examination.

Sales J said: "The PSCT arranges for a broadcasting transmitter or transmitters, each similar in size to a domestic broadband box, to be placed at the premises.

"This equipment takes up a minimal amount of physical space at the premises. It provides free wireless internet access to anyone within range of the transmitter and they also broadcast Bluetooth messages on crime prevention and public safety.

"The provision of such a free WiFi service and free messages is a service which is charitable in nature: the PSCT is a registered charity."

But he added: "It is reasonable to infer that Parliament intended that the substantial mandatory exemption from rates for a charity in occupation of a building should depend upon the charity actually making extensive use of the premises for charitable purposes (ie use of the building which is substantially and in real terms for the public benefit, so as to justify exemption from ordinary tax in the form of non-domestic rates), rather than leaving them mainly unused."

Jones Lang LaSalle said the quantity of office space rented in the first quarter, at 2.5m sq ft, was 28% higher than last year, and the highest since the last three months of 2010.