Councillors will review a policy which would have resulted in groups being charged for holding car boot sales.
The policy, put before the communities committee, proposes different rates for events on council land and buildings.
It suggests a charge of £50 a sale for community and charity groups holding up to six events a year and, for commercial sales taking place more than six times a year, a percentage of the profits or £100 a sale.
The report, prepared by the council’s head of property and technical services Ian Cochrane, says the charges would apply to events on council land and buildings with the exception of land and properties in the leisure and education estate.
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather suggested the charges were far too high and said it would lead the council to be compared with highway robber Dick Turpin.
He said: “I can’t agree with this at all. We are supposed to be a council that helps clubs and other organisations to operate.”
The report also says groups holding events would require planning permission, which brought more criticism from councillors.
Councillor Glennis Middleton sought confirmation that all groups, even “charities which perhaps hold a one-off event each year”, would require planning permission.
She said: “A small charity is different from a group that holds several events during the year. If they have to pay for planning permission, that could be a serious blow to them.”
Mr Cochrane confirmed every event needed planning permission.
He said: “When a group is leasing ground for an event, the council needs to be aware of that.”
Councillor Iain Gaul said making groups pay for planning permission, which costs £460, would make holding car boot sales uneconomical.
“Not only are groups going to have to pay a charge, we are now being told they are going to have to pay £460 for planning permission as well,” he said.
“If planning permission is needed for Angus Council ground then we need to get permission in place on all Angus Council properties without charging the groups. A group that held a car boot sale in Forfar a couple of years ago made in the region of £300. If we charge on this, it is no way to fundraise and no way for this council to run.”
Montrose member David May said he could not support a motion that would mean fundraising groups ran the risk of incurring a loss.
The policy was intended to bring car boot sales in line with its policies already approved for the management of its non-housing estate.
The committee agreed to defer the report to enable elements relating to charges and planning permission to be re-examined by council officers.