In 1959 a 60 year lease was granted to a charitable body, the Lewis Foundation, to operate Victory Hall as a facility for Chigwell residents.  The previous Parish Council chose not renew the lease for the occupiers when it expired in 2019, instead choosing to take possession of the complex.  This was done with a view of rebuilding the complex as a large community hub on the Green Belt land behind the Hall.  

Planning was refused on the grounds it was inappropriate development in Green Belt and demonstrated no special circumstances. In addition, planners considered that the size of the building proposed by the previous Parish Council would result in it being and incongruous and dominant feature in the landscape, impacting on the long views of the Green Belt. The full copy of the planning decision can be found here.

After planning permission for the development was refused in March 2018, the previous Council continued with the plan of returning it to the Parish rather than extending the lease and took over the management and operation of the Hall in April 2019. The new Council on being elected in May 2021, found that essential safety works due to be carried out by the Parish Council in 2020/21 had not been done and this necessitated the closure of the entire building for some time in the second half of 2021while these works were completed.