MILLIONS of pounds paid to Belfast City Council by developers has remained "stashed under the mattress" rather than being spent, a Green Party representative has said.
South Belfast activist Aine Groogan has called for the local authority to be more transparent about how the funds will be used.
Since 2015, the council has amassed around £3 million from developers as part of the planning application process.
The money is supposed to be used for the enhancement of the city's public realm, but to date none of the funds have been spent.
Ms Groogan blamed a "lack of vision or strategy" for the failure to spend the money.
"Developer contributions are extremely important – they are intended to benefit local people when developments are approved in their area and manage some of the impact of that development," she said.
"I'm concerned that Belfast City Council hasn't prioritised local communities throughout the planning process."
The council is seeking approval to spend £476,000 from the funds on a 'pilot' project in the area of College Avenue, College Street and College Court in the city centre.
Ms Groogan said the current spending proposals only account for around one-third of the money collected, and called for "greater transparency and accountability".
