JIM Kenyon certainly knows how to get emotions – and debates – going.

The councillor gained a very respectable 5,560 votes when he stood as an independent in the last general election, having attracted national attention for his music videos inside Hereford Town Hall and for backing ambitious, yet controversial plans, such as a bid to put a cycle track inside the city’s racecourse.

And last week he split opinion again while attracting the ire of his Conservative opponents on the county council when he called for land to be kept clear for an eastern river crossing over the Wye near Rotherwas.

This common-sense approach put the frighteners on those Tory councillors who fear that any such diversion could spell the end for their plans to build a western bypass through Breinton.

Interestingly, Coun Kenyon’s call was backed by the highest ranking local Conservative of all.

Jesse Norman, who beat Coun Kenyon in last year’s election and is now the parliamentary under secretary for transport, supported the pitch for a land corridor to be kept clear to the Ledbury Road ahead of last Friday’s meeting.

It is not the first time either Mr Norman or Coun Kenyon has spoken of the need for a new crossing to help the many businesses based at Rotherwas get across the river and head towards the Worcester road and the M5.

Anyone who has viewed Herefordshire Council’s video of the route Rotherwas companies should travel along, via the proposed bypass, can see that Coun Kenyon’s idea is a much quicker, simpler and cheaper solution.