A-boards can be a useful way for businesses in Brighton and Hove to tell people what they are doing.

But they can also block the pavement for pedestrians and cause problems for the blind and the disabled.

Now Brighton and Hove City Council is to charge traders in St James's Street, Kemp Town, £60 to licence each board.

The move has caused aggravation among some traders but the council has right on its side.

Why shouldn't it charge to reduce congestion on its pavements in the same way that it charges motorists to park on the roads?

A-boards can add life and entertainment to shopping streets but too many are a confounded nuisance.

By charging for them, the council is trying to keep down the number to manageable levels.

The scheme has already worked well in George Street, Hove, and there's no reason why it should not be extended all over the city.

If that happened, the council could plough back some of the money it gets from licence fees into making pavements prettier.

It could also repair them so people who have managed to avoid A-boards don't trip over the cracks.