Grand vision: The first-prize winning design for the West Kowloon Reclamation.

Arts and cultural facilities for West Kowloon came a step closer to fruition today.

Chief Secretary Donald Tsang announced that the Steering Committee for the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District project accepted recommendations from the Home Affairs Bureau on the core arts and cultural facilities to be stipulated as requirements in the development brief for the project.

Mr Tsang said: "While we expect the project to be run by the private sector on a self-financing basis, we are still working on our approach to packaging it and on defining the role that the Government might play in ensuring that it is carried out successfully, in preparation for inviting development proposals from the private sector around the middle of the year."

Elaborating on the committee's decision, Secretary for Home Affairs Dr Patrick Ho said that reaching a view on these major facilities is an important step in the evolution of the project from a conceptual plan to a well-defined project.

The committee has endorsed proposals that the core arts and cultural facilities should comprise a theatre complex, a cluster of museums, a major venue for indoor performances and a number of diverse venues for open-air cultural and artistic entertainment events.

These proposals were drawn up after wide consultations within the arts and cultural community, interested parties, and the business sector.

"To enhance the pluralistic development of our cultural scene, it is considered that the private sector should be encouraged to participate in the provision of these cultural and leisure services and to bring more international and local expertise into the management of these facilities," Dr Ho said.

"It is also considered best for the proponents to come up with their own creative ideas and strategic plans as to how these facilities should be managed, to encourage flexibility and innovative ideas."

Secretary for Housing, Planning & Lands Michael Suen added that the project will include significant commercial, retail and entertainment components, in addition to the core arts and cultural facilities.

He said the Housing, Planning & Lands Bureau will launch a website for the project by the end of next month, to encourage developers, architectural firms, planning consultants and other interested parties to begin thinking about forming consortia to submit proposals.

The Government announced on October 2 that the concept plan submitted by Foster & Partners in the West Kowloon Reclamation Concept Plan Competition will be the basis for the project masterplan and that its key components, including the distinctive canopy, will be featured.