Outgoing Hong Kong arts hub chief Michael Lynch bemoans bureaucracy and attitude of some local artists

Acrimony over Hong Kong's quest to build a world-class arts hub in West Kowloon has continued with the latest person to bow out as chief executive of the project accusing the city of losing its can-do spirit. 

Departing West Kowloon Cultural District supremo Michael Lynch has also fired a parting shot at the "hissing, moaning and griping" of some local artists and said delays and cost overruns on the project were "not entirely under our control".

He also bemoaned the number of times he had to appear before the Legislative Council.

Speaking on Friday, his last day in office, Lynch, 65, said he was preparing for a holiday in Rome after a horrendous year on a personal level: three relatives died and his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

As well as reflecting frankly on the difficulties of his four years in Hong Kong, Lynch also spoke of his pride in putting together a strong management team and a concrete plan to roll out major elements of the arts hub between 2017 and 2019.

"I said when I came that I understood why everyone was so sceptical, cynical … about this project, because it's just been around for too long. The thing we had to do was to show some progress," he said.

But the scepticism continues. The project, first announced in 1998, is suffering delays and budget overruns.