Building a new school with an original design is not easy, especially when you have to deal with more than 12 government departments before construction work can even begin.
Sponsors of projects which differ from the standard design model provided by the Architectural Services Department complain that the approval process involves submitting hundreds of documents and could take up to two years.
The South China Morning Post learned of the problem while researching a series of articles highlighting the way in which red tape hinders projects that could create jobs and boost the economy.
The government has now pledged to streamline the approval procedures for school projects to minimise the number of departments that applicants have to deal with.
Ada Wong Ying-kay, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture, is one applicant working her way through the bureaucratic quagmire. She wants to establish a school in Kowloon City which will be the first in Hong Kong to specialise in creative arts such as architecture, design and film.
An application for the Hong Kong School of Arts, Media and Design was first made last year and a site was granted in June.