Commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of their Culture and Heritage Capital programme, this pioneering research explored how to measure the value people place on culture and heritage even when they don't directly use it – known as "non-use value". 

Through four survey experiments with over 13,000 UK adults and qualitative research focused on three major UK museums, we systematically investigated how survey design choices affect the measurement of non-use value.

Our methodology examined bias mitigation strategies, payment vehicles, distance-decay effects and marginal change valuations. The research revealed that non-visitors to the Natural History Museum were willing to pay an average of £11.95 annually to preserve it, demonstrating the economic significance of non-use value. 

The study delivers nine practical recommendations for quantifying non-use value in social cost-benefit analysis, addressing critical evidence gaps in Green Book-compliant appraisal. These findings provide DCMS with the foundation to develop formal guidance on valuing culture and heritage in policy decisions, ensuring this important type of value is not overlooked. 

Read the full report here