Residents and developers looking to build in Mosman, Hunters Hill, Leichhardt, Strathfield and Woollahra are more likely to have had their plans refused than anywhere else in Sydney.

Western Sydney councils, including Camden and Penrith refused about 1 per cent of development applications, while Mosman and Hunters Hill knocked back more than 11 per cent, Sydney Morning Herald analysis of NSW Department of Planning data from 2014 to 2016 found.

Mosman mayor Carolyn Corrigan says the council uses an independent panel to assess DAs. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The most development friendly council in Sydney was Camden, where just 0.6 per cent of 3626 DAs lodged in the area were blocked.

Camden was, on average, the fastest place to get the go-ahead to extend or alter one's home, with approvals taking an average of 37 days.