Lost Peatlands Connections (LPC) Project Evaluation

1. INTRODUCTION The Countryside & Wildlife Team (C&W Team) of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (the Council) are administrating a landscape-scale partnership project: Lost Peatlands Connections. The project intends to restore habitats in the upland landscape and four valleys of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taff whilst engaging and encouraging local communities and school children to get outside in their landscape to get healthier, carry out practical conversation management and learn about their local heritage. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Lost Peatlands Connections (LPC) project is a landscape-scale partnership led by Neath Port Talbot Council, working with Natural Resources Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, Coed Lleol, Vattenfall, the Woodland Trust, and the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. The project aims to restore upland habitats, strengthen community connections to nature and heritage, and deliver inclusive engagement opportunities across the South Wales Valleys. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), LPC must demonstrate its impact against project aims and NLHF investment principles. The Council seeks to appoint an independent consultant to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the project, ensuring accountability, learning, and legacy. The evaluation will measure: • Environmental outcomes (habitat restoration, biodiversity, climate resilience). • Community engagement (education, volunteering, wellbeing). • Cultural heritage impact (skills, storytelling, digital engagement). • Organisational sustainability (partnership effectiveness, governance, legacy planning). Evaluation must follow NLHF guidance: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/good-practice-guidance/evaluation-guidance 2.1 LOCATION The evaluation will be primarily desk-based, using monitoring data and documentation provided by the Lost Peatlands Connections (LPC) team. Stakeholder engagement will be required during the mid-term and final evaluation phases, in