I used to work in a bar in Torquay. The owner had purchased some of those brown signs you are talking about and wanted to put them up in the High Street pointing to his bar. Late one night he climbed a lamp post and attached the signs. Two days later the signs were removed and he received a letter from the council informing him that he would have to pay to have the signs displayed - I think it was about �600 for each sign. I would imagine that this is only true for private businesses and that the council would get theirs up for free.