It is arguing in favour of an alternative 'incremental approach' of holding tenders for the development of the site phase by phase.

Under the institute's plan, the winning developer would, for example, have the right to develop only 25 per cent or 30 per cent of the designated plot of land and then bid again for additional plots one at a time.

This process would be repeated until the project was completed.

'In future, say in five years, we can then evaluate the progress of the development and consider what our property and cultural needs are at that time,' said institute president Bernard Lim Wan-fung, an architecture professor at Chinese University. 'There is no collusion in this process.'

Smaller developers keen to participate in the project have lobbied the government to drop its plan to select one of three shortlisted designs and allow more companies to take part.

Professor Lim said the proposed incremental approach would vastly reduce any uncertainty and risks surrounding the project by limiting any single development to only a portion of the site.

He expected cultural facilities and commercial properties to be included in each phase.

Institute vice-president Vincent Ng Wing-shun said the approach would minimise problems.

'Even if the winning developer messes up, the mistake is limited to just that part of the site,' he said.

'If the developer does well, that will be reflected in its track record and will benefit the company in bidding for other plots.'

Professor Lim said the winning designs for the various phases would have to comply with the site's master development plan, which would be conceived and regularly reviewed by a provisional West Kowloon cultural district development board and endorsed by the Town Planning Board. The establishment of a development board was supported by the public.

Under the proposal, the development board, along with the Town Planning Board, would draft a planning brief based on a consensus of public views. This would take place over a year. A tender for the development of part of the first phase would be organised in the second half of next year, leading to the commencement of work as early as the summer of 2007.

Mr Ng said although this was the same expected start date as that under the government's single developer timetable, 'we will have a longer finish date'.

'We are not trying to delay the start of the West Kowloon project. We just feel that the best way for this to go forward is with the public's support,' he said.

'It is important that all of Hong Kong is in consensus here.'

Hong Kong yesterday took a step towards reaching a consensus when the Legislative Council's House Committee endorsed a proposal by lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit to set up a subcommittee to follow up on the controversial project.

The proposal was supported by the Democratic Party, the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong and The Alliance. The Liberal Party did not raise any objections.