A free planning advice service is facing closure due to proposals to cease Stormont funding, a charity has warned.
Community Places helps people make representations and raise concerns about applications going through the planning process.
Its planning advice service is set to lose all funding after July from the Department for Infrastructure under proposed budget cuts.
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The organisation said the plan would represent a two-thirds reduction in its entire funding resources.
A public consultation has been opened on the proposals, which are part of a range of cuts to services put forward by department officials after they warned of a £112million budget shortfall.
Louise O'Kane, chief executive of Community Places, said: "Ceasing or reducing funding for this frontline service will mean an end to the only free independent planning advice service to people and communities.
"It will have a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and communities and their ability to exercise their rights in the planning system and to navigate what are often complex and technical planning processes.
"The grant aid ensures that the planning process considers the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised communities and supports disadvantaged individuals and communities to have equality of opportunity in expressing their views in the planning system."
Community Places received £116,000 from the infrastructure department in 2021-22, according to the charity's most recent annual report.
Stormont departments are facing significant real-term cuts to public services amid soaring inflation and pressures including public sector pay demands.
Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris stepped in to set an overall budget in the absence of local ministers while civil servants have been left to run the departments.
Stormont's power-sharing institutions collapsed last year due to a DUP boycott in protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The party is holding firm on not returning to Stormont until their concerns around the protocol and Windsor Framework are addressed.
Parties have called for extra funding for Stormont, but Mr Heaton Harris has said any additional Treasury package would be dependent on a "proper" plan for restoring devolution.
Ms O'Kane said: "While we appreciate the challenging budget which has been delivered by the Secretary of State, we are alarmed that the department is considering ceasing grant aid to a public facing service which supports disadvantaged individuals and communities to exercise their rights in the planning system.
"Our service is directed at those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society and demand for it continues to grow year on year with 84% of group advice cases requiring detailed knowledge of complex planning issues and procedures."
The Department for Infrastructure said it made "extensive" efforts to reduce expenditure and raise revenue but still has a remaining "budget shortfall" of around £112million.
A spokeswoman added: "A public consultation has been launched seeking views on the equality impacts of the Resource Budget for 2023/24 and of potential decisions on expenditure across the department.
"The department welcomes and wants to hear all views about the potential impacts this will have on public services.
"Responses received by June 12 2023 will be used to inform remaining decisions to be taken on how the department allocates this initial resource budget.
"Any further responses received before the consultation closes on August 7 2023 will be used to inform further mitigation measures and reallocation of any additional funding that may become available during 2023-24."
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